BJP's Stunning Victory in Odisha Ends Naveen Patnaik's 24-Year Reign

In a dramatic shift in Odisha's political landscape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ended the 24-year dominion of BJD leader Naveen Patnaik. The BJP, once mocked in the 1990s as a mere "sign-board party" in the state, has now secured a significant victory by winning 78 of the 147 seats in the Odisha Assembly. This election saw the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has been at the helm since 2000, failing to secure even a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections, marking a stunning setback for the party.

The BJP's victory is not just confined to the assembly; in the Lok Sabha elections, it won 20 seats, leaving Congress with just one seat. This is a considerable increase from their previous tally in 2019 when the BJP had only eight Lok Sabha seats. The BJD, which had won 113 assembly seats in the 2019 elections, saw a drastic reduction to just 51 seats this time around. The Congress party also saw an increase in their assembly seats from nine in 2019 to 14.

This election marks the first time the BJP will form a government in Odisha's political history. Despite being in alliance with the BJD from 2000 to 2009, their partnership disintegrated before the 2009 general elections. Since then, the BJP has been challenging the BJD without significant success until now.

The intense campaigning efforts by the BJP played a crucial role in this victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself led from the front by addressing ten poll rallies and holding two roadshows in Bhubaneswar and Puri. According to BJP state vice-president Golak Mohapatra, BJP central leaders held at least 245 election meetings across Odisha.

The 2024 election was notably fought on the issue of Odia "Asmita" or pride, a first in Indian politics where state pride was used as a main poll issue against a regional party's ruling dispensation. The BJD's campaign was perceived as weak compared to BJP’s high-profile electioneering efforts which included canvassing by top BJP leaders such as Amit Shah, J P Nadda, and Smriti Irani among others.

Controversies also marred the election atmosphere. The BJP raised issues such as the missing key of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar treasury and accused Patnaik of "outsourcing" government and party responsibilities. Questions about Patnaik's health were also highlighted by Prime Minister Modi suggesting a possible conspiracy behind his sudden deterioration.

On their part, the BJD attempted to focus on various welfare schemes introduced by Patnaik’s government. However, they struggled to effectively counter major issues raised against them such as price rise, alleged neglect of Odisha by the central government, and unemployment, leading to their defeat according to political analysts.

This election result signifies a major shift in Odisha's political dynamics and reflects changing voter sentiments towards governance and leadership in the state.