Odisha: Is BJP ‘Double Engine’ Govt Playing a Double Game in State Politics?

After six months of ruling Odisha as Chief Minister, for Mohan Charan Majhi in particular and for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in general, a statement from a Union Minister has created ripples in political circles across the state.

Amid the political brick-batting between BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Union minister Giriraj Singh has come out in support of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik in a big way.

Singh has reportedly said that given the immense contribution of Patnaik in the past 24 years as Chief Minister (till 2024) and his role as a politician, he deserves respect and the government of the day must consider honouring him with an award as high as the Bharat Ratna.

Political analysts, however, hold different opinions on this stance of the BJP at the Centre and a diametrically opposite one in Odisha, where the ruling party has been trying to tarnish the image of Patnaik and his followers for doing “nothing worthy” for the state.

“Naveen Patnaik still stands tall in Odisha politics, and the BJP, as it appears, is aiming for a political environment free of BJD while knowing that Congress has been floundering for the past over two decades” Rabi Das, veteran journalist and political analyst, told this writer.

“If my hunch is correct”, Das said, “by proposing to confer an honour like Bharat Ratna, the BJP national leadership intends to force Naveen to a position of such a political neutrality that his party (BJD) in Odisha and majority BJD leaders come under the saffron canopy”.

Although there is no instance, as of now, of any chief minister in the country being conferred the Bharat Ratna, the BJP seems to be playing mind games to smoothen the barbs from Patnaik once for all, even if it such a hypothetical statement comes from none other than a Union Minister, which might have immense psychological impact in BJD in general, said Das.

Although Singh had given a similar statement in favour of Nitish Kumar (Bihar Chief Minister) extolling him to the sky and pleaded that he be given the Bharat Ratna, “but in Bihar, the BJP has a reason (to do say this) because without Nitish, the party will have no foothold in the Bihar government. But the same logic does not apply in the case of Odisha” noted Das.

 On the other side of the political spectrum, the ‘double-engine’ government led by Majhi is trying its best to wipe away everything done by Patnaik, thus trying to paint the former Chief Minister in bad colours.

Demeaning the Heroes?

In the past few occasions, BJP has been not only trying to paint things in saffron colour but using the stroke of a brush to demean many personalities of Odisha and India.

The capital city (Bhubaneswar) has many roadside walls on which the images were painted of past heroes, who made enormous contributions in the fields of culture, literature, sports, education and as freedom fighters. It may be recalled, that all of these personalities were “above politics”.

Now, a different attempt is being made by the ruling BJP. All the walls have been white-washed and in their place, the traditional motifs (jhoti) are being drawn to showcase Odia art in indigenous patterns. That is fine, but why wipe away images of national figures and bury them under saffron shades? say critics.

Tulasi Munda.

For example, the image of Madhusudan Das, Radhanatha Ratha, Tulasi Munda and myriad artists, freedom fighters and sports personalities have been erased from the walls. These are personalities who undisputedly had brought laurels for the state and the nation.

“I cannot comprehend the logic behind the removal of the images of past heroes overnight. Were they not Indians or Odias?” said Rabi Das.

In the coming days, Bhubaneswar is going to host a conclave of non-resident Indians (NRIs) and that is why, perhaps, the past heroes have been removed from the city walls and replaced by motifs. Is it a reflection of “Odia asmita”, many people wonder.       

The writer is a freelancer based in Odisha.