General Elections 2024: BJD turns spotlight on western Odisha while struggling with infighting

At a time when western Odisha is emerging as a political battleground for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the general elections in 2024, the infighting has become a headache for the former. 

If the BJD has been focussing on western Odisha, there are valid reasons as well. 

Western Odisha has been considered as the BJP’s stronghold as in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party had won all five seats and eight out of 35 Assembly seats. 

Since western Odisha plays a crucial role in forming the government, both parties are leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory in the 2024 big fight. 

As part of its strategies, the Chief Minister has recently launched Mukhyamantri Sabha Gruha scheme in western Odisha. Under this scheme, a total of 200 meeting halls will be built at the cost of Rs 125 crore. 

While launching the scheme, the CM had said western Odisha has been his focus. On the other hand, the BJP and the Congress have alleged that the CM has been treating western Odisha stepmotherly. 

“It seems the state government is getting apprehensive of Prime Minister’s popularity in western Odisha. They have announced the Mukhyamantri Sabha Gruha scheme with an eye to woo voters,” said BJP MLA Mukesh Mahaling. 

OPCC chief Sarat Pattanayak said, “Since the general elections are approaching, they (BJD) are announcing scheme after scheme. But their announcements assume little importance.”

Taking the side of her party, BJD MLA Snehangini Chhuria said, “The BJP is in fear because they will lose all the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in western Odisha.”

At a time when the BJD is preparing strategies for the general elections, it is also struggling with the infightings. 

In Kalahandi district, MLA Dibyashankar Mishra and district president Pushpendra Singhdeo have not been on good terms.  The situation in Bolangir district is more or less the same. Here, the groups of Minister Tukuni Sahu and BJD leader Kalikesh Singhdeo are at loggerheads. 

In Bargarh, Minister Rita Sahu and MLA Sushant Singh are at daggers drawn. In Sambalpur, the fissure among Rohit Pujari, Raseswari Panigrahi and Nalini Pradhan is only increasing. 

The same picture has also been emerging from Jharsuguda. Here, the relationship between the groups of MLA Depali Das and Alaka Mohanty has turned sour. It has been discussed that Minister Sarada Nayak and MLA Subrat Tarai are not on good terms in Sundargarh district. 

“It will be a big task for the BJD to streamline and organize the party in western Odisha as infighting is increasing. For it, it will be a big challenge to wean people of western Odisha off the BJP,” observed senior journalist Prasanna Mohanty.