December 31st 2024.
The political landscape in Odisha underwent a major transformation in 2024, bringing an end to the long-standing rule of the seemingly unbeatable Naveen Patnaik government. In a surprising turn of events, the BJP rose to power for the first time in the state, marking Patnaik's first electoral defeat. The BJD, which had previously held a majority with 113 seats, was reduced to just 51 seats, and even lost all 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the simultaneous elections.
Patnaik, who had served as the chief minister for five consecutive terms, faced defeat in the Kantabanji seat to Laxman Bag of the BJP by a margin of over 16,000 votes. However, he managed to hold on to his own assembly segment of Hinjili by a narrow margin of 4,000 votes. With the BJP winning 78 seats in the 147-member assembly and the Congress securing 14 seats, the BJP formed the new government with Mohan Charan Majhi as the chief minister.
Despite the BJP's aggressive campaign, which included the presence of top leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they secured a slightly lesser vote share of 40.07%, compared to the BJD's 40.22%. The BJP's victory was largely attributed to their focus on the pride and identity of the Odia people, with their campaign slogan of 'Odia Asmita'. They also targeted the BJD as a party controlled by 'outsider' VK Pandian, a Tamil IAS officer who had left the bureaucracy to join politics, only to leave after the electoral defeat.
Majhi, a tribal leader from Keonjhar, took charge as the new chief minister and made some noteworthy decisions in his first cabinet meeting. As promised by the BJP during their campaign, he reopened all four gates of the revered Jagannath temple in Puri and opened the temple's treasury for inventory and repair after 46 years. He also allocated Rs 500 crore for the safety, security, and beautification of the temple. Additionally, the new government announced an MSP of Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy and launched a financial assistance scheme for women called the Subhadra Yojana, which would provide Rs 50,000 over five years to women between the ages of 21-60.
Meanwhile, Patnaik took on the role of the leader of the opposition, despite facing dissatisfaction within his own party. The trend of BJD leaders defecting to the BJP continued, with two Rajya Sabha MPs, Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, joining the ruling party and getting re-elected in the by-elections. This reduced the BJD's seat count in the Rajya Sabha to seven, while strengthening the BJP's presence.
Patnaik, however, stood by Pandian, praising his excellent work and attributing the party's defeat to the BJP's negative campaign. He also acknowledged that the BJD had failed to counter the false narratives and lies spread by the BJP on social media. Despite their declining popularity, the BJD managed to hold the government accountable on various issues, such as the safety of women. This was highlighted after an army officer and his fiancée were allegedly assaulted by the police in custody.
The incident occurred on September 15 when the couple went to the Bharatpur police station to file a complaint. It was alleged that the army officer was beaten up, and his fiancée was molested by male police officers. In response, the government suspended five police personnel, handed over the investigation to the Crime Branch, and formed a judicial commission.
The state also saw a change in governors, with Kambhampati Hari Babu replacing Raghubar Das. Das, the former chief minister of Jharkhand, resigned after facing public backlash for his son's alleged assault on a government officer. The incident occurred at the Raj Bhavan in Puri in July, during a mega Rath Yatra event attended by President Droupadi Murmu. The governor's son, Lalit Kumar, and his friends were accused of assaulting an Assistant Section Officer. The Rath Yatra also faced controversy when the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell on servitors during the Pahandi ritual, injuring nine people.
Despite these challenges, Majhi's government successfully managed to mitigate the effects of another tropical cyclone, 'Dana', in November, ensuring 'zero casualties' and minimal damage. The state also hosted the all-India DGP-IGP conference and the Indian Navy's 'Operational Demonstration' on Navy Day at the Puri beach.
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