Odisha MP: BJP's victory in four states will have no impact on the BJD's chances in 2024

Bhubaneswar: Even if the BJP won a second term in four states' Assembly elections, it will have no impact on the political situation in Odisha or the ruling BJD's chances in the 2024 elections, according to Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik.

Patnaik, the BJD's national spokesman, stated that while the BJP has returned to power in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur, it has lost seat share in UP, vote share in Goa, and hasn't improved much in Uttarakhand.

He attributed the BJP's success to the lack of a strong national or local/regional alternative in such areas, which made things easier for the party. For a number of reasons, Congress has been pushed out practically everywhere. "The BJP's local leadership, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was also beneficial because he is seen as having provided solid governance in the state. SP performed well in comparison to the previous election, but garnered votes primarily from the Congress and BSP, rather than the BJP," he noted.

On the other side, he stated that the results of the 2014 and 2019 general and Assembly elections have demonstrated that the people of Odisha have placed their trust in chief minister Naveen Patnaik and the BJD over any national party, notably the BJP. In both of these elections, the BJD's vote share increased over time, as seen by the recent panchayat elections.

"In Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur, the BJP has only kept power for a second term, whereas the BJD has done so five times." Given Naveen Patnaik's surging popularity, there is no reason to expect a change for the sixth time," he remarked.

The BJD government has also bolstered development efforts and anti-poverty initiatives, according to the MP, citing the BSKY card and the Mo School programmes as examples. "During the COVID pandemic, as well as in vaccine coverage and crisis management, the chief minister demonstrated his pro-people approach." He is also seen as a powerful leader in state and national politics, as well as a champion against corruption. "After 22 years in office, he is still Mr Clean, a reputation that none of the BJP's victorious chief ministers in the four states have," he added.

He reasoned that, in light of these considerations, today's election results will have little bearing on Naveen's popularity or the BJD's electoral prospects now or in 2024. "We are unconcerned. On the other hand, the BJP would do well to maintain its No. 2 position in the state by competing with the Congress and not falling behind them till 2019," he said.