BJP’s growing ascendancy in Delhi raises concerns for regional BJD

Following recent poll results in Delhi, the increasing influence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across India is causing unease among regional parties, including Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, sources said on Sunday.

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The BJD warned that the higher number of BJP-led states poses significant challenges for regional political parties. “It is a big challenge for the regional parties that they are on the wane,” senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said.

“If the regional parties become weak, it could lead to democracy becoming dormant in the country. Ours is a federal system of governance. Hence, both national and regional parties should exist,” the BJD leader said.

Meanwhile, Congress predicts that the regional parties will gradually diminish, making way for Congress' resurgence as a dominant force.

The Congress cited public discontent with dynastic politics and individual-centric policies as reasons for the rejection of regional parties in the country. The Congress remains hopeful, asserting that while regional parties may lose relevance, the party is poised for a comeback.

The BJD, in power in Odisha for nearly 24 years, faced setbacks in the 2024 General Elections. Similarly, political fragmentation impacted Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, enabling the BJP-led alliance's victory.

In Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saw a decline, securing only 22 seats from a previous 67, with its leader Arvind Kejriwal suffering defeat.

Within the BJD, concerns are mounting over the emerging dominance of national parties, which they see as a threat to regional entities. Conversely, the BJP credits its success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s widespread appeal and their development-focused agenda, which is resonating with voters.

The BJP now governs independently in 14 states and holds power in coalition with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in six more states. Analysts suggest the public's shift away from the regional parties could be due to unfulfilled promises and a lack of decisive leadership, factors that have eroded public trust. This decline is evident as the BJP's popularity grows.

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Questions persist as to why regional parties are losing public favour. Is it due to unfullfiled promises or leadership issues? As the BJP's dominance expands, the future challenges for regional parties remain to be seen.

Reported By: Biswajit Mohanty, Jagdish Das