Amid TMC meltdown, how Naveen Patnaik is going all out to shore up BJD

Amid questions over the BJD’s future due to various factors – including Patnaik’s age, his health issues, and the defection of a slew of leaders to the ruling BJP – Patnaik convened the meeting in Bhubaneswar Wednesday – his first such exercise after the 2024 loss – to restore order in the party and instil confidence among the leaders for their fight against the Mohan Charan Majhi government.

The brainstorming session took place two days after Patnaik, a five-term CM, returned from Delhi after a week-long stay, during which he was said to have consulted his elder brother Prem Patnaik and other associates over the party’s roadmap.

BJD insiders said that during the meeting, Patnaik, in a deviation from his usual practice, listened patiently to all the leaders and responded to their queries and concerns. He assured them that he will visit all districts across the state to galvanise the BJD workers and lay the groundwork for the panchayat and civic body polls slated early next year.

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“Naveen Babu never had the habit of sitting for more than an hour in any meeting. Even when he was CM, his Cabinet meetings and official review meetings lasted for less than an hour. Of 75 leaders who attended the Wednesday meeting, he interacted with 45 leaders. What we sensed from his body language was that he is serious about reviving the party,” said a senior party leader.

Strategy against BJP

During the deliberations, Patnaik stressed on the need to develop a narrative against the BJP over the state’s law and order situation which, he claimed, has “completely collapsed”. “There is an atmosphere of fear among people because of rising incidents of murder, rape, looting and crime against women,” he alleged.

Patnaik, who entered politics at the age of 51 in the late 1990s following the demise of his father Biju Patnaik and founded the BJD, had mounted a campaign in the 2000 Assembly elections over the state’s “tottering law and order situation” that led to the ouster of the then incumbent Congress from power.

BJD president Naveen Patnaik chairs a meeting with the party’s losing candidates at Sankha Bhawan to discuss strategy to rebuild the party. (Express Photos)

During Wednesday’s “strategy meeting”, Patnaik also used “fiscal mismanagement” to target the BJP government, flagging the delay in disbursement of social security pensions to over 20 lakh old persons, which was one of his government’s popular schemes.

“Odisha had a revenue surplus of nearly Rs 45,000 crore when the BJD government demitted office. The state’s debt burden has increased significantly under the BJP government. It’s not even able to disburse the social security pension to senior citizens,” Patnaik said.

The state government has cited “technical reasons” behind the delay in distribution of old age pension.

Highlighting the BJD’s “Nari Adhikar Aviyan” to champion the rights and safety of women, which have been held in 120 of the state’s 147 Assembly segments over the last one month, Patnaik said “strong participation” of women in its rallies despite intense summer heat reflected “changing public mood” in Odisha. Women voters have always been part of the BJD’s key support base.

Patnaik asked the BJD leaders to ramp up their preparations for the upcoming panchayat and civic body polls with “renewed confidence” and strengthen the party’s grassroots outreach, calling for “strategic use” of social media platforms.

Referring to the Election Commission (EC)’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which got underway in Odisha from June 1, Patnaik cited “large scale disenfranchisement of voters” in states like Bihar and Bengal, asking the party leaders to remain vigilant and ensure that no eligible voter in Odisha is removed from the electoral rolls, sources said.

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Senior BJD vice president Debi Prasad Mishra said the party leaders from various constituencies expressed their concerns even as they apprised Patnaik of “growing public anger” against the BJP government. “Naveen babu’s words and visions have encouraged our leaders. We have discussed a roadmap to revive the organisation with focus on various sections like women, farmers, tribals and Dalits.”

BJD sources said Patnaik struck a chord with the leaders, many of whom had felt “neglected because of the communication gap between them and the leadership”. “During interaction with leaders from a particular district, Patnaik recalled some of the initiatives taken by his government for the region. Many leaders had candid interactions with Naveen babu,” sources added.

Bid for BJD unity

Some BJD leaders said Patnaik’s exercise could be aimed at keeping their flock together and prevent any further exodus of grassroots leaders to the BJP fold.

“The BJP has been aggressively making efforts to expand its organisation in Odisha. After managing to take the BJD’s three Rajya Sabha members on board, the BJP has been inducting our grassroots leaders into its camp,” said a BJD leader.

The three BJD Rajya Sabha MPs – Mamata Mohanta, Sujeet Kumar and Debashish Samantaray – who resigned from the party, later got renominated to the Upper House on the BJP ticket. While Mohanta and Kumar resigned in July and September 2024, soon after the BJD’s defeat, Samantaray jumped ship last month.

Patnaik might also be apprehensive about a possible rebellion in the party in light of the current revolt in the TMC in Bengal and the splits in the NCP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra earlier.

The BJD suffered a blow during the Rajya Sabha elections in March this year after eight of its MLAs (including two suspended legislators) defied Patnaik’s decision to back a common Opposition candidate and instead cross-voted for the BJP-backed Independent Dilip Ray to ensure his win. Patnaik later suspended the six MLAs for “anti-party activities”.

BJD leader and Cuttack mayor Subhash Singh, however, said, “The BJP would not be able to orchestrate a split in BJD as the political situation in Odisha is different from that of Bengal or Maharashtra”.

Another BJD leader echoed his view, saying that “Naveen babu has groomed the party in such a way that he remains its undisputed leader. Also, he still enjoys immense popularity among the masses. So, no one in the party will even think of revolting against him,” the leader claimed.

The BJD had ruled the state under Patnaik for 24 years over five consecutive terms since 2000 before being defeated by its once junior ally BJP in 2024.