What바카라s the secret of Naveen Patnaik바카라s sudden aggression? The Odisha CM went ballistic reading out a nine-point 바카라chargesheet바카라 against the Narendra Modi government at the BJD바카라s 21st foundation day celebrations on December 26, 2018. And just two days before PM Modi바카라s latest visit to the state on January 5, the BJD supremo shot off a letter to him, challenging the veracity of his claim that the Odisha government, which had promised to bring 10 lakh additional hectares under irrigation in its 2014 manifesto, had managed no more than 22,000 hectares in the four-and-a-half years of Naveen바카라s fourth term. Modi had made the claim in his speech at Khurda on December 24.
Naveen바카라s uncharacteristically strong attack came alongside decisions to back the combined Opposition바카라s demand for a JPC probe on the Rafale deal and organise a farmers rally at New Delhi바카라s Talkatora stadium on January 8바카라all marking a recalibrated, more aggressive strategy. On the other hand, Modi disappointed local BJP workers, long at the receiving end of barbs over their party바카라s alleged 바카라secret deal바카라 with the BJD, when he failed to name either Naveen or BJD even once in his Khurda speech despite mentioning corruption and distress migration. In his speech at Baripada on January 5, too, he was far from taking on Naveen and BJD frontally, choosing to offer some 바카라friendly advice바카라 instead on denial of justice to the victim of a gangrape case and Odisha바카라s refusal to be part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
One possible explanation of Naveen바카라s aggression in the face of Modi바카라s apparent softening of tone is that it바카라s the Odisha CM바카라s way of asserting that the BJP cannot take him for granted. It could also be part of his effort to shake off the widely held impression that he had a 바카라deal바카라 with the BJP, which could cost him votes. Veteran journalist Rabi Das, however, has a different take on the issue. 바카라Naveen has realised that the BJP is growing in Odisha and could pose a serious challenge to the BJD in the long run, if not in this year바카라s elections. Hence, the BJP rather than the Congress is enemy No. 1 for him as of now,바카라 says Das.
Though many local workers have been left wondering what the BJP바카라s stand on the Naveen government exactly is, Modi바카라s refusal to take on Naveen in the run-up to simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections points to a recalibration of strategy by the ruling party at the Centre. The change of tack appears to have been forced on the top leadership of the BJP by the setbacks in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, after which the possibility of the NDA falling short of the magic number of 272 seats in the next Lok Sabha began to look real. Privately, BJP leaders admit as much.
바카라The idea is not to give Naveen a walkover in Odisha, and also make sure he doesn바카라t join the Opposition ranks,바카라 says a BJP insider who doesn바카라t want to be named. This appears to be a hard-nosed realistic approach because Naveen has been among the BJP바카라s most trusted non-NDA allies in the four-and-a-half years of Modi as PM, bailing out the government whenever it has been in trouble or needed support.
This strategy also points to a realisation of the ground realities and an indirect admission that for all its tall talk of 바카라Mission 120바카라 (winning 120 seats in the 147-member Odisha assembly), the BJP is in no position to take on Naveen in his home turf at this juncture. Hence it makes eminent political sense to make sure Naveen doesn바카라t fall into the enemy camp and leave the door ajar for a post-poll understanding that ensures the continuation of the cozy relationship in the Lok Sabha. With the cat and mouse game between the two 바카라frenemies바카라 undergoing several twists and turns, Odisha is certainly in for some interesting political times this year.
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- At the BJD바카라s foundation day function, Naveen read out a nine-point chargesheet against the Modi government.
- Naveen has been among the BJP바카라s most trusted non-NDA allies during Modi바카라s term, bailing it out in times of trouble.
By Sandeep Sahu in Bhubaneswar
