BJP's Odisha Campaign Gains Momentum After Modi's Tough Stance Against BJD

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s harsh criticism of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in the state has energised the BJP campaign and enthused party cadres in the state. 

Modi, while addressing huge public rallies at Berhampur and Nabarangpur in south Odisha, Monday (6 May), came down heavily on the government headed by Naveen Patnaik, accusing it of largescale corruption, poor governance and failure to develop the state. 

Modi’s criticism of the BJD has also damaged the claim by the Congress that the BJP and BJD leadership were close to each other and the Congress is the real opposition in the state. A similar perception had grown among a section of the people of Odisha because the BJP central leadership had, till now, avoided criticising the BJD too harshly. 

State BJP leaders and cadres have applauded Modi’s strong speech exposing the BJD government. The state unit of the BJP has been a critic of the Naveen Patnaik government and has always wanted the party central leadership to adopt an aggressive stance against the BJD. 

State leaders of the BJP had also strongly opposed the proposal to form an alliance with the BJD and had argued that such an alliance would have harmed the BJP because of the strong anti-incumbency against the BJD. 

“Odisha is very rich in natural resources--plentiful water, fertile lands, a treasure trove of minerals, a long coastline, and is very rich in heritage culture and heritage. The Almighty has blessed Odisha with everything, but why are the people of Odisha so poor? Odisha is rich, but its masses are poor. Why? Who committed the sin of keeping the people of this rich state in such poverty,” the PM asked.

The response of the crowd proved the state BJP leadership, which has been asserting that the BJD government is facing strong anti-incumbency, right. Large sections of the crowd shouted “the BJD” and even “Pandian” (the controversial bureaucrat-turned politician who is Naveen Patnaik’s heir apparent) in response. 

“The answer to this is the loot by the leaders of the Congress (which ruled the state before the BJD for many years) and then the BJD,” said Modi, to loud cheers. “Even small leaders of the BJD have become owners of huge bungalows,” he added. 

Modi even launched a direct attack on Naveen Patnaik. “Why is it that the home turf of Naveen Patnaik (he represents the Hinjili seat in Ganjam district) witnesses the maximum migration of people to other parts of the country in search of jobs? Why are so many posts of doctors vacant in government hospitals here? Why do so many kids drop out of school here? Hinjili does not even have cold storage facilities for its farmers. Households here do not get water,” he said.

Asserting that his government had allocated huge resources to Odisha, Prime Minister Modi said in the ten years of UPA rule (2004 to 2014), Odisha received Rs one lakh crore from the Centre. But in the last ten years of NDA rule, Odisha had received more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore.

However, he said, just allocating funds doesn’t work in the absence of a good government in the state. “We send money for you here and frame policies and programmes for you, but the BJD government does not implement those, or loots those funds and tries to pass them off as its own,” he said. 

Citing an example, he said the Union Government had given Odisha Rs 10,000 crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission. “But the BJD government has not even been able to utilise those funds properly. We send money to construct roads in the rural areas, but rural roads are in a pathetic state in Odisha. We send money for free rations to the poor, but the BJD government pastes its own stickers on the bags of free rice. Why does it have to do this? Because it has not done anything on its own and hence has to take credit for the work that we do,” said Modi. 

Modi also referred to the Ayushman Bharat free health insurance scheme that provides insurance cover of Rs five lakh annually to the poor. “More than six crore people have benefited from this in the rest of the country but the BJD government, very shockingly, blocked the implementation of this scheme in the state. Even those who have migrated to other states from Odisha do not get the benefit of this scheme,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi then announced that when the BJP forms the government in the state early next month, it will immediately implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state. “And all those above 70 years of age will get absolutely free treatment without any upper limit, This will be done by this son of Prabhu Jagannath,”  Modi said, referring to himself. 

Accusing the BJD government of being anti-women, Modi said that the Union Government has a scheme to provide Rs 6,000 to every pregnant woman. “But the BJD government has refused to implement this scheme. Will women ever be able to forgive the BJD for this crime? The BJP is committed to the welfare of women,” said Modi. 

The Prime Minister referred to the BJP manifesto for Odisha which contains women-centric welfare measures, including promotion of self-help groups of women and creating 25 lakh ‘lakhpati Didis’ in Odisha’s villages. “We have honoured a lady born in Odisha and made her the President of the country. She is the country’s pride and every Odiya should be proud of her,” he said. 

“Only the BJP can give Odisha a son of the soil who is rooted in the state’s culture, heritage and traditions as its Chief Minister,” declared Modi to thunderous applause. He appealed to the people of the state to give “one opportunity to the BJP” to form the government in the state. 

“I guarantee that in five years, the BJP will turn Odisha into the country’s number one state,” he promised. “BJP’s USP is good governance. Whenever the BJP comes to power in a state, it ushers in unprecedented development. This has happened in Tripura and Assam and the BJP has changed the face of the two states. The BJP has brought about huge changes in Uttar Pradesh, which is now spoken about for its progress. The new BJP government in Chhattisgarh is also doing great work,” he said. 

Modi’s severe criticism of the BJD government came on the heels of the release of the party manifesto for the state. The manifesto contains major promises for farmers and women. 

The manifesto promises to hike the paddy procurement price to Rs 3,100 per quintal (double the present rate) and the procurement process will be made transparent. The manifesto also promises a ‘Subhadra Jojana’ scheme under which every woman will receive a cash voucher of Rs 50,000 which she can encash over two years. 

There are many other promises for fishermen and improvement of rural infrastructure, creation of jobs etc.

These promises, especially the ones to farmers, fishermen and women, could be game-changers in the elections, BJP leaders told Swarajya.