No more ‘central neglect’ cry, BJD eyes to reach voters with development agenda

With the stage getting ready for the crucial 2024 elections, political parties are revisiting their strategies to strike a chord with the voters in Odisha.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) too is now keen to grab votes by highlighting its own schemes instead of raking up its regular ‘Central neglect’ cry.

For the BJD, the focus will certainly be on farmers, youths, women, and other backward classes. Such speculations are now rife after Odisha Chief Minister’s speech during the state-level Independence Day celebrations here on Tuesday.
Patnaik today tried to paint a rosy picture of development and set a narrative ahead of the crucial 2024 polls.

Patnaik stated that more than 4 lakh beneficiaries have been included in the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana and also spoke about BSKY, Nua Odisha and other newly-introduced schemes in his address to the people of the state on the occasion of Independence Day.

Amidst this, it is noteworthy to mention here that already there is a buzz over the growing bonhomie between the BJD and the BJP.

In the Parliament, BJD MP Pinaki Mishra heaped praises on the Modi government and thanked it for the central grants in the federal structure. From this, it can be gauged that the ruling BJD won’t play the ‘central neglect’ card this time around.

Hence, the BJD will try to cash in by presenting its own report card of development and the same message was visible in the BJD supremo’s Independence Day address.

Meanwhile, both the Congress & the state unit of the BJP have slammed the CM’s address by alleging that it was purely done keeping in view the upcoming elections.

Opposition parties alleged that there is usually a flood of scheme announcements ahead of the polls and subsequently such schemes die out.

“During elections, the BJD makes false promises before the people of Odisha and announces new schemes. Most of the schemes die soon after the announcement and others fizzle out after the polls,” said State BJP Vice-President, Biranchi Tripathy.

Congress MLA, Sura Routray said, “With elections nearing, the proximity between the BJD and BJP is increasing. BJD cannot criticise the Centre and today’s speech by CM only mentioned schemes. We have seen such schemes for the last 24 years. Neither BJD nor BJP, the Congress will come to power in 2024.”

Responding to the allegations of the opposition parties, BJD MLA, Debi Prasad Mishra said, “In a Democracy, the evaluation of any government is done through an election. There is no harm in going to polls or sin in winning polls.”