Mamata’s Bengal sweep is sweet music for BJD ears

BHUBANESWAR: The Trinamool Congress’s sweeping victory in West Bengal assembly election, led by the firebrand Mamata Banerjee, comes as a comforting development for Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in Odisha. Naveen spoke to Mamata over telephone and congratulated her for her party’s landslide victory, the chief minister’s office said.
“Had the BJP won in the neighbouring state, its ripple effect would have been felt here. The saffron party would have been far more aggressive in Odisha where it dislodged the Congress as principal opposition party in the last assembly election and aspires to halt Naveen’s juggernaut,” felt Asima Sahu, a professor of political science at Ravenshaw University.
“BJP’s defeat in Bengal would send the party back to the drawing board which can work in Naveen’s favour. TMC’s landslide win will further boost the BJD morale, as the regional party takes on the might of BJP,” Sahu said, adding, “Naveen’s smart Covid management will now become a bigger talking point and can add to his political advantage which his rivals may not be able to counter.”
Though the assembly election in Odisha is in 2024, BJP’s poor show in Bengal has renewed faith among people and BJD cadres that the saffron wave can be stopped.
Political activities, which the BJP may have stepped up on in the state with a narrative of Odisha after Bengal may not be easy now, feel political observers.
Senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said the Bengal verdict has pan-India ramifications. “The message is clear. Regional parties can continue to dominate state politics if they can fulfil regional aspirations and win people’s confidence. In Odisha, people continue to repose their faith on Naveen Patnaik’s able leadership and commitment,” Mishra said.
BJP, on its part, said the party has made remarkable improvement in West Bengal and would in away be less serious about Odisha.
“Our performance in Bengal is satisfactory. We could not achieve what we had targeted, but the party’s increase in vote share and overall performance is remarkable,” said BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP and party’s national spokesperson, Aparajita Sarangi.
She said the BJP is quite serious about forming a government in Odisha. “We are working in that direction. There will be major political concentration in Odisha for a BJP government here,” Sarangi added.