The Winter Sessions of the Parliament and the Odisha Assembly have witnessed eerily similar scenes over the past few days with fervent protests disrupting proceedings in both. While the Opposition has been hurling accusations at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital over issues pertaining to the farmers’ agitation, recent civilian killings in Nagaland and the suspension of a dozen Rajya Sabha MPs for their conduct during the Monsoon Session, the constant ruckus caused by the Opposition in Odisha Assembly over the Mamita Meher murder case has led to the indefinite adjournment of the Winter Session that was scheduled to conclude not before the end of this month.
However, none of this seems to have managed to put even the slightest dent on the image or popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
By far the BJP’s most popular leader at the national level and its ultimate weapon during election time, Prime Minister Modi remains in fine fettle and firmly on track for a third term at the Centre. The way he warned BJP MPs recently against irregular attendance in Parliament showed that he is still in complete charge of the saffron party. With the Congress party continuing its downward spiral and the prospects of a united Opposition versus the BJP in the 2024 elections seeming as slim as ever, there is little to stop Prime Minister Modi from remaining in power until at least 2029 when he will be nudging the ripe age of 80.
The case of five-time Chief Minister Patnaik is not much different. Despite all that he has done to turn around the fortunes of Odisha through his government’s ground-breaking policies and welfare schemes over the past 21 years, he still – amazingly somehow – seems to give the impression that he has only gotten started and the best is yet to come.
There is no dearth of recent instances to prove that is indeed the case.
The Sahaya scheme for protection, care and rehabilitation of beggars and the social security scheme for newspaper hawkers, both announced this month, are glorious examples of the Chief Minister’s commitment to changing the lot of the poorest of the poor while pushing for all-round development in his state.
The goal of turning Odisha into a sports capital seems to be already accomplished given the number of international and national events that are being held in Bhubaneswar this month, including the recently concluded Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Stadium.
Patnaik’s mission of making Odisha an eco-tourism hotspot is also moving in the right direction – and at a swift pace – as is evident from the state featuring regularly in travel magazines and websites over the past few months as one of the top tourist destinations in the country.
Long before Modi warned his MPs, Patnaik had made it clear to all BJD leaders that their place in the state government and the party would be determined solely by their performance. The BJD boss has also ensured a healthy evolution of the structure and electoral strategy of his party to maintain its invincibility as a political force in Odisha.
Suffice to say, both Patnaik and Modi are still in it for the long haul.
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