Speaking at the ceremony to mark the inaugural run of Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Srikshetra in the next three to four years to inaugurate the international airport in Puri. The statement, which came within days of Patnaik’s meeting with Modi in Delhi to discuss the airport issue, has caused ripples in the political circles. It is being seen as indicative of the five-time Chief Minister’s confidence in Modi’s ability to win the next Lok Sabha polls.
It is also being interpreted as his support for Modi as the Prime Minister of the country in 2024. This may rile the opposition which has been trying hard to build up a united front against Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by him. Significantly, soon after his meeting with Modi, the Chief Minister had also dismissed the possibility of his party – Biju Janata Dal (BJD) – becoming part of a possible Third Front. He had also said that his party would go it alone in the next elections.
The truth is that Patnaik has consistently maintained the policy of keeping equidistance from BJP and Congress while extending issue-based support to the NDA at crucial junctures. This suits his politics and has paid him rich dividends in the past. Despite Congress’s impressive victory in Karnataka, there is hardly any reason for Patnaik to change tack and risk his party’s future by joining an anti-BJP alliance.
Although Congress’s victory in Karnataka is politically significant and certain to boost the confidence of the party, it may be too early to predict a turnaround in its fortunes on the basis of just one win. The party has been down in the dumps for quite some time now and recovery is certain to be a long haul.
What is more worrying for the opposition is the lack of unity in its ranks. With most regional satraps fighting Prime Minister Modi clearly divided over the issue of strategy and their unwillingness to accommodate the Congress, they seem unlikely to put up a united front in 2024.
The BJP, on the other hand, has gone back to the drawing board after the Karnataka debacle and redrawn its strategy for the next elections by making course corrections. Led by Prime Minister Modi, who still retains his magic, it remains the strongest party in the country and most likely to win the 2024 battle as things stand today. Hence, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s confidence in Modi’s ability to deliver yet another victory is not misplaced.
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