Panchayat Polls: Would BJD Reclaim Its Grass-Root Acceptance? Not To Be Economical With Truth, Yes.

 

By D N Singh

Cutting across political considerations, and the chatters in the political grapevines, the common inclination that seems pertinently unambiguous that, the coming Panchayat polls are yet again amy tilt in favour of the ruling Biju Janata Dal.

It is not merely a soothe-saying or drumming for one party but, a rational analysis also indicate at that. Even some of the savviest political observers grudgingly or otherwise agree to the above assumption.

Reasons are there where political prudence cannot out rightly negate the notion about a 2017 repeat or better.

Organisational Bolstering

Looking at the organizational bolstering at the grass-roots, the BJD has this time shown a repeat of its feats alacrity. If seen in hind-sight also, it appears to have left the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party way behind in the race, so far.

No Skull-doggery

What the BJD has its focus area is, mostly, pro-people measure, which draws the Chief minister closer to the masses.

In contrast, and may be contrary to the accepted pre-poll norms, the other two rivals somehow appear in a kind of skull-duggery exercise like Mamita Meher case or the repetitious sloganeering over PMAY or paddy procurements and so on. Whereas, they have little in their agenda to be called a politically motivating at a time when people need that the most.

The BJD, whereas, has gone miles in the management of the mountainous challenges from the Covid-19, a paramount need of the hour.

Not that, the appropriate handling but giving balm to the ones those who have somehow born the brunt of the pandemic at the financial front like joblessness, blighted by circumstances arisen out of the trying phase.

Be it financial succor for the repairing of houses under the Biju Pukka Ghar and Nirman Shramik. It may sound populist but that is like the panacea at this hour.

One cannot grudge the BJD its share of credit for the allocation of Rs.1000 support to each person for meeting the requirements necessitated by the Covid and a host of other majors.

Even the Rs. 3000 financial assistance for pavement vendors cannot be lost sight of.

It should not leave the analysts or poll analysts wonder that, the BJD’s vote share remain intact.

It may be recalled that, the BJD had won all elections held to Sarapanch, ZP member in last 2.5 years. It also won all 4 bye-elections conducted after 2019, even it wrested the seat from BJP in Balasore

The other factor that must bolster the psyche of the BJD that, in very recent times, several seasoned yet grass-root leaders from rival parties made their way into the BJD. Which not only enhance the bottom layer hold but the few leaders of consequence such as Pradip Majhi and Chandra Sekhar Majhi- the stalwarts of Koraput- Nawrangpur district joined BJD.  It must go a long way to create an undercurrent in favour of the BJD.

So also, in Sundargarh district, Prafulla Majhi, former Talsara MLA joined the BJD. This has strengthened the BJD in the assembly

BJD has kept its hold in coastal region, more or less, intact. The trend also reflected in 2919. The trend also seen in coastal Odisha. Senior BJP leaders like Biswaranjan Mallick and Gautam Ray of BJP joined. This has strengthened the position of the BJD in Jajpur district.

After a few hiccups in certain areas in Bargarh, Subarnapur, Sambalpur, Jharsugda, Nuapada and Kalahandi, the BJD demonstrated its tremendous resilience in 2019 Assembly polls bouncing back and retained many seats or even wrested one assembly seat of Balasore.

BJD’s Palliatives

However, the BJD war-room must refocus in Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj  where the BJD did poorly in 2017 but it was not encouraging in 2019 as well.

In politics it is not all about underscoring the negative sides of the ruling dispensation that can help the balance swing in favour of the opposition but, what transpires at the bottom matters.

In a climate of fear and hardship, post the pandemic, what people should be looking up at is, some doses of palliative measures for the majority not the language of acrimony.