BJD’s Women Card: Mission Impossible Or Show of Shakti?

Bhubaneswar: Will BJD’s efforts to transform Mission Shakti women from being its trusted votebank to becoming political leaders really work? After tasting success in its pilot experiment with Pramila Bisoi in Aska Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the ruling party is attempting an encore with Abanti Das in the ensuing Dhamnagar bypoll, thereby making apparent its bid to script a new narrative for the Big Battle in 2024 and beyond.

While the Dhamnagar results would not have any impact on the Naveen Patnaik government’s stability, its outcome is bound to influence the party’s future strategies, especially those pertaining to the distribution of tickets in the next Assembly and parliamentary polls as well as in determining the next generation of top leadership.

That the BJD is, of late, gradually grooming younger leaders and fresh faces to overcome anti-incumbency is no secret. But what could be interesting is the party bosses’ bid to ensure a smooth transition from veterans and seniors to youth and women leaders. Naveen’s outfit has been successful in garnering female votes ever since his government started Mission Shakti, a programme to strengthen women self-help groups, in 2001. In recent years, the party is trying to politically empower such women by giving them tickets in elections and making a loud propaganda of their successes. So much so that the BJD now labels itself as a “social movement” with an obvious eye on Mission Shakti. This, however, raises a pertinent question: Will the regional party succeed in its plan to supplant political heavyweights and those having natural leadership skills with grassroots-level women?

Although the BJD’s efforts can be appreciated as a subject of ‘symbolism’ or ‘tokenism’ and might even yield fruit in a few test cases, the party runs the risk of weakening its base and organisation by diluting its political machinery/colour and narrowing down the agenda. A political party in its true essence ought to promote natural leaders who come through established free and fair democratic processes. Any tinkering on that front to achieve short-term ends might spell disaster in the long haul for a party which aspires to remain in power even when Odisha celebrates 100 years of statehood in 2036.

The Dhamnagar by-election in a way serves as a pointer to the possible revolt that could brew if aspirants from within the party are superseded with Mission Shakti members. Former MLA Rajendra Kumar Das entering the fray as an Independent for the November 3 bypoll certainly doesn’t augur well for the regional outfit.

More importantly, it brings to the fore the following

a) The party has a problem of plenty and roping in new faces might create issues;

b) A good number of BJD leaders are apprehensive of their futures and might turn their backs on the party unless managed effectively;

c) Notwithstanding BJD’s attempts to increase women representation in elected bodies it cannot afford to ignore the aspirations of established leaders.

Thus, it is obvious that the BJD faces a piquant situation wherein it not only has to fight the BJP and the Congress as well as keep a watch on the possible emergence of the AAP but, more importantly, prevent its own men from playing spoilers. With the regional party having grown big as a consequence of staying in power for over 22 years in the state and its president Naveen Patnaik not growing any younger, it is but understandable that several leaders are covertly exploring greener pastures.

The change of narrative with ordinary women being propelled to the forefront might fuel dissension, which Naveen & Co could find too hot to handle. The net result in such a scenario plausibly would be instability and rebellion, something that had cost Naveen’s legendary father Biju Patnaik the CM’s chair in 1995 though poll pundits had then predicted a smooth sail. History has a tendency to repeat itself when least expected. But timely action and well-calibrated stratagems could control the damage. Whether the BJD top brass can successfully deal with it remains to be seen.

However, the more pertinent issue to watch out for is: Will BJD’s new gameplan push the party towards accomplishing Mission Impossible or help it invoke Shakti to script a new success story in 2024?