2018 poses tough challenge for BJD

BHUBANESWAR: Though the BJD managed to maintain its supremacy in 2017 in the face of  severe challenge posed by the BJP, 2018 will be no less difficult for the ruling party in Odisha. With the BJP making a determined effort to win the by-poll from the Bijepur Assembly constituency, the ruling party will face the test in the electoral arena. The by-poll is likely to be held in February, 2018. The seat had fallen vacant in August 21, 2017 following the demise of sitting Congress MLA Subal Sahu.

The urban local body (ULB) polls to be held towards the second half in 2018 will also be no less challenging for the ruling BJD as a better performance is expected from its main rival BJP in the urban centres. Party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb said making smooth governance available to the people of the State will be one of the challenges before the ruling party and the State Government. Since the Government has launched a slew of schemes for the people, care has to be taken that the benefits reach the beneficiaries.

The urban body polls scheduled in 2018 will also be a challenge before the BJD, Deb said and added that the party will have to organise itself to face the opposition political parties in the general elections scheduled in 2019.

Senior BJP leader and spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said one of the major challenges before the party will be to expose the failure of the State Government before the people during the urban body (ULB) polls next year. This will pave the way for the BJD’s defeat in the ULB polls in 2018 and the general elections next year, he added.

Stating that urban areas in the State do not have safe drinking water, Sharma said funds released by the Centre under the Nirmal Bharat scheme has been wasted. Besides, the State Government has failed to provide electricity and drinking water to all villages even after 17 years, he said and added that basic health infrastructure is not in place in a majority of tribal and backward areas. The challenge before the BJP will be to take all these failures of the Government to the people to ensure BJD’s defeat in the next elections, he said.

The State Government will also face a host of challenges in 2018. Resolution of the ongoing dispute over Mahanadi river water with Chhattisgarh will be a major challenge.

Besides, the unilateral construction of Polavaram dam project will continue to be an issue even in 2018. Suicide by farmers, which was a major issue in 2017, will chase the Government also in 2019, if steps are not initiated to win the confidence of the farming community. Announcement of packages by the Government for the benefit of the farmers was not enough to stop farmers’ suicide.