Poor Show In Odisha Panchayat Polls: BJP Deputes Central Leaders To Reverse Tide In ULB Elections

Bhubaneswar: With the BJP taking a heavy drubbing in the recently concluded panchayat elections in the state, the Central leadership of the party has geared up to improve the performance in the ULB polls.

The, BJP, which had formed ZPs in eight districts after winning 297 seats in 2017, could muster only 42 seats in this election.

The main opposition party in the state Assembly faced major debacle in its bastions in western Odisha, Mayurbhanj and Malkangiri. Besides, it drew a blank in 8 districts of Bhadrak, Deogarh, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Rayagada.

Though the state leadership put up a brave face with president Samir Mohanty claiming that the BJP had bagged 30% of total votes polled, political analysts held fissures in the leadership responsible for the poor performance as senior leader Bijay Mahapatra came out in the open against the party’s preparation for the polls.

Mohapatra said the state leadership of BJP did not consult the local leaders nor take them into confidence for election preparation. Unlike 2017 polls, no gameplan or strategy was drawn up in selection of candidates and campaign, he added.

“Neither meetings nor discussions were held with local leaders at the grassroots level. No strategy or blue print was prepared. When a party goes to polls with such level of unpreparedness, what can it expect other than a miserable defeat,” Mohapatra said.

In order to stop the bickering among the state leaders, particularly in the light of elections to urban local bodies (ULBs), BJP’s national general secretary and Odisha in-charge D Purandeswari came down to Bhubaneswar and held a closed door meeting with them.

Purandeswari, who came after attending a meeting of national general secretaries chaired by party president JP Nadda in New Delhi, held the meeting with the state president Mohanty and three of five general secretaries in the party office.

During her meeting with Nadda, Purandeswari has reportedly told about differences among state leaders of the party. Stating that senior leaders of the state did not see eye to eye and contribute to the panchayat elections, she said they should put remain united to strengthen the party organisation and put up a strong fight in the urban elections.

In the panchayat polls, while former MP and party vice-president Baijayant Panda appeared in digital campaign once or twice, other senior leaders like national spokesperson Sambit Patra and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan hardly took any interest.

Besides, the BJP has decided to depute Central leaders, who were missing during the campaign for the panchayat polls, to take an active part in the municipal elections. Among others, Dharmendra Pradhan, Baijayant Panda and Sambit Patra are expected to campaign in the urban polls.

Besides boosting the sagging morale of the party leaders and workers, they are expected to help prepare a well-though strategy to take on ruling BJD which is riding high on its historical performance in the panchayat polls.