NaMo effect? Naveen Patnaik plans state wide tour

New Delhi: After the BJP’s impressive performance in local bodies’ election, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, for the first time, will be embarking on a statewide visit to meet party leaders, including panchayat pramukhs, district-wise, which the state’s Opposition party described as a “NaMo affect”. The BJP says that the ruling BJD has “reached a saturation point” as its organisational structure has become “stagnant”.

Reports are pouring in that a large chunk of ruling party’s cadre and workers are willing to switch sides to the BJP, which is keeping a watchful eye on developments in the BJD camp, especially after buzz that Mr Patnaik’s US-based sister, Geeta Mehta, is camping in the state to “learn about the state politics”. The local bodies poll results forced Mr Patnaik to issue a diktat to party leaders, especially MLAs, to “start meeting the people.” Amid rumours over his health, the BJD supremo himself has started meeting party leaders as well as getting in touch with the cadre and visiting the party office.   

After BJP’s impressive performance in the local bodies polls, party leadership decided to hold its next national executive meeting in the state capital this month, which is giving jitters to the ruling party, where talks of a possible revamp in the organisation and implementation of a “new roadmap” ahead of the assembly and general elections is doing the rounds. Assembly elections in the state are scheduled almost the same time when general elections will take place in 2019.

BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has been ruling the state since 2000 and the recently concluded local bodies elections were BJD’s worst ever performance. Odisha was one of the few states, where the BJP had failed to make any impact in the last general elections despite its stupendous performance at the national level.