Challenges before re-elected Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal

Manmohan Samal has been re-elected as Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Odisha Unit president for an unprecedented fourth time and is preparing to tackle a range of impending challenges. Drawing on his extensive experience, which includes leading under a BJP-BJD coalition and independently, Samal faces a critical three-year term ahead. 

A key priority for Samal will be coordination between Sangha, the government, and the organisation, appointing officials to vacant ministerial and board corporation positions. Furthermore, securing positions in the Panchayat, Block, and Zilla Parishad elections will also be a significant task.

In his fourth term, Samal has taken charge once again as the President of the BJP in Odisha, facing challenges as daunting as a mountain. Although he has previously held the position three times, including during the BJP-BJD coalition government and as the leader of the ruling party, the next three years are expected to be particularly demanding for him.

Tough challenges ahead

One of the biggest challenges ahead is strengthening the BJP’s grassroots organization across the state. The focus will be on consolidating the party at the booth level and gaining control in panchayats, blocks, and zilla parishads. For this, the party effectively has a window of just two years.

Another significant challenge is the filling of vacant ministerial positions and appointments to various boards and corporations. Balancing competence and experience on one hand, and loyalty to the party on the other, will be crucial. Deciding who gets what role—and equally, how to placate those who are overlooked—could become a major test of leadership and strategy for Samal.

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"Samal will face major challenges like bringing coordination between the government and the party organisation, taking actions against the corrupted and get success in the Panchayat and Municipality elections by strengthening the party. He will also face a tough task to provide various services of the administration to the public through the governance," said political analyst Akshay Sahoo.

Although the ruling party has so far managed to avoid any major internal factionalism, subtle group differences within the organization cannot be ignored. Recognizing this, Samal emphasized unity in his recent speech, citing the well-known phrase, "United we stand, divided we fall."

This message comes at a critical time, as the newly formed government—coming to power for the first time—faces high expectations from both party workers and the people of the state. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister had promised to make Odisha the number one state in the country and popularized the idea of a 'double engine' government to influence voters.

Now, the difference between the 'double engine' governance model and the previous 'single engine' setup must be clearly communicated to the public. At the same time, in moments when the government may face challenges or criticism, the party must act as a solid pillar of support, standing firmly behind it to ensure both protection and stability.

"The party will stand like a pillar of strength behind the government for developmental activities for the people in the State. When I am in charge, we all will work unitedly," said Samal.