Ground Zero Report on BJD

My Image My Mask...

The BJD was formed in late 90s carved out of erstwhile Janata Dal, while the state was ruled by unpopular Congress party. However a handful of leaders chalked out a plan to engineer an alliance with BJP against the wish of few senior leaders. In the national politics BJP was then a rising sun so the new party's alliance with BJP proved to be a all out success sweeping the LS altogether in its favor. Then BJD virtually replaced its parent party Janata Dal with most of its leaders and cadres jumping into the brand new party. Eventually the alliance won the state election held in the same year.

In the meanwhile, otherwise new Naveen Patnaik with his close associate Pyari Mohan Mohapatra strengthen their cadre base and eliminated strong leaders like Bijay Mohapatra, and Dillip Ray (also the founder members) as they were threat to the former. BJD successfully sold Naveen's clean image while defaming rivals both within and outside the party, while the party itself was neck dip into corruption. The BJP state leaders, weakened their own base and got involved in unnecessary corruption allegation. The BJP's main plank was of a clean party so the charges did not go down well with the voters who slowly drifted away from BJP. 

However, BJP was still shining at the national level, so Mr.Patnaik pre-poned the state election to be held along with LSE, to reap the maximum benefit. Incidentally, BJP was voted out of power at centre but Naveen still continued with the alliance though the party think tank instigated Naveen to tease BJP to get out of the alliance. The mandate was such that Naveen can't afford to show BJP the doors as that would have made Cong support inevitable to continue in the office. That's a ridiculous option as far as the public perception goes however a tacit understanding would benefit the both without hurting the public sentiments. The BJP though had a sizable presence in state assembly, was rather hanging on to Naveen's popularity to remain in power. Mr.Patnaik's chief strategists Pyari and Jay Panda were smart enough to sense the weakness however the unfortunate Kandhamal riots gave them the right opportunity. Nevertheless the alliance did not collapse in 2008, BJD decided go solo in Local body elections to expose BJP's declining support base. While BJD had the grand plans to propose BJP a shameful number of seats in the run up to next LS and Assembly election in 2009. 

The alliance was declared to be non-existent, and the defacto chief Pyari Mohapatra categorically mentioned on electronics media that the alliance was broken because of disagreement on seat sharing and that has no bearing what so ever happened in Kandhamal. So BJD's grand standing on this issue on secular ground is completely an after thought. Nevertheless, immediately Jay Panda declared that BJD forging an alliance with Left parties to cover the vote deficit because of BJP's exit. Most important aspect here is all of sudden the the state govt was minority without BJP's support just before the election. The most pertinent question here, why would Congress a rival party at center would allow a minority government to preside over during an important state cum national election. The obvious answer is the alleged tacit understanding, not going by Naveen's family history and link ups with Sonia via his Italian sister in law. The same understanding finished off BJP in the state while boosting Congress in the Lok Sabha, keeping Naveen's hold in state assembly intact. A win win situation for both while public at large still thinks they are arch rivals. This is a classic example of central leadership ruining the state units. A kind of similar approach that ruined many BJP state units across India always favoring the alliance partners at the cost of own party. To be practical, without power at center and with a disoriented state unit, BJP had very little to offer.

Bihar BJP was smart enough to learn from mistakes committed in Odisha and hold onto the ground firmly to possibly wither out Nitish now. There is nothing called alliance Dharma, as long as you are powerful parties would throng towards you.

Look at the comedy of politics, loosing power looming large on Congress, Modi's mission Delhi is call of the nation now. The front runners of Third Front left the program even before it was kick started. People have started realizing BJD's clean image as rather a camouflage to cover up multi-billion rupees scams including mining and chit fund ones where the government and ruling party is fully indicted. Naveen's clean mask can no longer stop people challenging the party on the lavish election funding. 

Naveen not only refrained from attending the Third Front meeting though he was the PM candidate but went upto the extent of snapping its ties with left that it embraced before 2009 election. There are 2 possible reasons firstly, the all round good show in local elections held recently gave enough confidence to the ruling party that they do not need Left any more as that would require giving up few seats. At the same time an opportunist alliance was cemented with JMM in the tribal stronghold of north-west Odisha while still allowing the new alliance party members to switch side, breaching a basic ground rule of the alliance pact.

Modi Wave!!! What nonsense...

Secondly, Naveen was preparing ground to join NDA post election so did not want Left to spoil the party. In this critical hour Naveen needs NDA more than the latter, as opening up of the corruption cases especially the mining and chit-fund ones would claim many heads within the party, severely damaging Naveen's clean mask. The chief strategist is no more a friend who vowed to damage the most in this election. Naveen has already started to feel the hit, anti incumbency, scams and above all the so called Modi wave giving the spinster sleepless nights. 

  

Naveen's political acumen exposes him as a despicable opportunist practicing a self promoting exercise to cling onto the chair. His actual worry is ground swell in favor of BJP in his own stronghold, as the report suggests the saffron party may surprise all with results possibly toppling the reigning runners up Congress in state election. What if BJP still manages to form a govt in center but without Naveen, what would happen to him then,
as Modi is no Atal.....