May 21st 2024.
Puri: In a clear dig at the prime minister, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's top aide has dismissed the BJP's key campaigners in Odisha as "political tourists" who are not even familiar with the state's capital. Kartik Pandian, who has been a close confidant of Patnaik for many years and is now a prominent political campaigner, confidently stated that Patnaik will return to office for a record sixth consecutive term. He even announced the date and time for Patnaik's oath-taking ceremony.
During an interview with PTI Videos on Monday night, Pandian expressed his belief that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will sweep the polls and secure a three-fourths majority in the 147-seat state assembly, which is being held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Patnaik himself contested from two seats - Hinjili in Ganjam district and Kantabanji in Bolangir district - with voting taking place on Monday.
Pandian, a former IAS officer, confidently stated that Patnaik will win both seats with a huge majority. "We have already set the time for his oath-taking ceremony. On June 9, between 11:30am and 1pm, the honorable CM will take the oath," the 49-year-old said.
In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement in an interview with PTI that there is significant anti-incumbency against the 77-year-old Patnaik and that the BJD will struggle in these elections, Pandian dismissed it as the same thing Modi said in 2019. He also reminded that Patnaik had extended an invitation to Modi for his swearing-in ceremony, and he expects the prime minister to come bearing gifts this time.
According to Pandian, the people of Odisha are hoping for the fulfillment of their long-standing demands, including special status for the state, minimum support price for farmers (as promised by Modi), and a higher royalty from the central government for coal mining.
Switching gears to the Lok Sabha elections, Pandian expressed confidence that the BJD will perform better than in 2019, when they won 12 of the 21 seats in the state, while the BJP secured eight and the Congress one. The BJD has had an on-and-off relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), having been a part of the NDA alliance until 2009. Although there were talks of a possible alliance before the 2024 elections, the negotiations fell through.
In their pursuit of power in the state, the BJP has brought out all their big guns, including Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, and several other BJP chief ministers. During a recent rally, Modi challenged Patnaik to name the capitals of the state's districts, insinuating that the aging leader is out of touch with the people. In response, Pandian stated that the people of Odisha view these politicians as mere "political tourists" who visit the state once every five years and have no understanding of its issues. He even mentioned that many of them would struggle to name the state's capital.
When asked if his comments were in reference to Modi's statement, Pandian admitted that he deliberately used that term and that it was not well-received by the people of Odisha, who were hurt by it. He further explained that the BJP resorted to negative campaigning because they have no valid arguments against Patnaik, who has been in power for 24 years. Additionally, the BJP does not have a leader of Patnaik's stature to pit against him.
Pandian also refused to comment on whether the BJD would join the NDA if the BJP falls short of a majority or if they would ally with the opposition INDIA bloc. He stated that they are equally engaged in a fierce battle against both the BJP and the Congress in the state. When asked if he views both parties as equal enemies, Pandian replied, "Absolutely. It's election time."
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