“While the BJD and BJP both have a mixed bag of accomplishments and challenges, the Congress seems to have absolutely nothing going its way”
By SUNJOY HANS
Editor-in-Chief
If the manner of the Biju Janata Dal’s victory in the simultaneously held assembly and general elections this year in Odisha was the proverbial icing on the cake, the result of the recently held Patkura bypolls was the cherry on top of it.
The victory of Savitri Agarwalla there was by no means a dire need for Chief Minister and BJD boss Naveen Patnaik considering the big and dramatic electoral battle had already been conclusively won a few months ago, but it served as a desirable and delightful epilogue by all means, considering the circumstances, symbolism and characters at play.
After stamping its authority in the prestige battle against the Bharatiya Janata Party and its candidate Bijoy Mohapatra, the Naveen Patnaik government can once again focus singularly on taking Odisha forward on the path of all-round and all-inclusive development – an approach that has paid rich dividends for the BJD from the beginning of this new millennium.
Although this relatively young regional party has faced its fair share of challenges along the way, thanks in no small part to what Odisha had been through since Independence, Naveen has deftly overcome those time and time again as an exemplary leader of the state.
Yet the challenges keep coming, the latest one being the apparently rising incidences of missing children and rape of minors. With the opposition capitalising on this issue to attack the BJD and its leader as the people of Odisha watch, it will be interesting to see how Naveen comes up with a winning response.
A somewhat similar story is playing out for the BJP at the national level.
The long-drawn-out political crisis in Karnataka has played out in its favour as B.S. Yedyurappa returns as Chief Minister. Needless to say, this victory more than compensates for the saffron party’s Patkura loss.
Then, the perfect start to the Chandrayaan-2 Mission also reflects well on the party simply by virtue of it being in power at the Centre. Just like the surgical strikes had done, any kind of success in this mission can only contribute to positive public sentiments for the ruling dispensation.
However, the same may not be said for the BJP’s plans for a National Registry of Citizens – previously limited to Assam but now with the possibility of implementation across the country. With all that has been transpiring in Assam on that front, the nation seems to be somewhat divided in the middle. Critics, both within India and those from the global media community, accuse the BJP of pushing forward its majoritarian agenda for further electoral gains.
The Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has raised many eyebrows across the nation for its initial response to Sonbhadra carnage in Uttar Pradesh, whether it be on taking preventive measures, or dealing with leaders of rival political parties – particularly the detention of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi – in its aftermath.
While the BJD and BJP both have a mixed bag of accomplishments and challenges, the Congress seems to have absolutely nothing going its way. The Grand Old Party never had a chance in Patkura, but the loss of power in Karnataka has come as yet another deadly blow to its political standing in the country. And just when the party is going through its worst leadership crisis ever, what with Rahul Gandhi’s resignation as its president and Priyanka Gandhi not ready to step in, it loses one of its most popular and successful leaders with the demise of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit.
May her soul rest in peace.
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