Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has reasserted his political supremacy with Biju Janata Dal’s resounding victories in Balasore Sadar and Tirtol assembly bypolls. While the party retained Tirtol, which was earlier represented by veteran Bishnu Charan Das, by a huge margin it snatched away Balasore Sadar from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The victory in Balasore Sadar was all the more significant because the saffron party had pulled out all the stops to save the seat. Apart from the two union ministers from the state – Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi – the high-profile BJP MP from Bhubaneswar, Aparajita Sarangi, had campaigned extensively and intensively in the constituency. The party, which had fielded Manas Ranjan Dutta (son of deceased MLA Madan Mohan Dutta) in Balasore Sadar, had also hoped to cash in on the sympathy factor.
In the event, however, it was Naveen magic that worked in both the constituencies. The Chief Minister, who chose to address virtual rallies in Balasore Sadar and Tirtol instead of physically campaigning in these constituencies in view of the corona pandemic, managed to convince people that only his party and its government could guarantee the continued development of Odisha. The locals believed him because they have been witness to his indefatigable energy and tireless work for the growth of the state. His dedication to the cause of upliftment of the poor has been particularly appreciated. The voters of Balasore Sadar and Tirtol have benefitted from his government’s poverty alleviation schemes, such as rice for Rs1. per kg and meals for Rs.5, as much as people in other parts of the state.
Even women, who voted overwhelmingly in favour of NDA candidates recently in the Bihar elections, plumped for BJD candidates in the byelections in Odisha. They have seen and appreciated the sincerity with which Patnaik has been working for their development. While the government has launched the Mamata scheme for pregnant mothers to reduce both maternal and infant mortality rates, it also taken firm steps to make the members of the fair sex financially independent.
The organization of women across the state under self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in economically productive activities has been one of the biggest successes of the Naveen Patnaik government. Supported and guided by Mission Shakti, the SHG movement in the state has become a symbol of women empowerment and an inspiration for women in other parts of the country.
People have also appreciated Patnaik’s efforts to make the government not only more effective and people-friendly but also more transparent. This is being done under the much acclaimed Mo Sarkar initiative, which is part of the five-time Chief Minister’s 5T formula (technology, transparency, teamwork, time and transformation ) of governance. It has hit at the root of corruption and enhanced the efficiency of the government. People have only expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister by making his party victorious in the two bypolls.
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