As Naveen Sits in Opposition, the BJD Chief Must Build a Second Line of Leaders

Other than him, none in his party has a pan-Odisha acceptance and the VK Pandian experiment proved to be a disaster.

Speaker of the Odisha Assembly Surama Padhy takes charge after being elected unopposed, in Bhubaneswar. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition and BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik are also seen.

(Photo: PTI)

There is a sudden spring in Naveen Patnaik’s steps. He seems confident and his postures defy the fact that he was thrown out of power barely three weeks ago.

The images of Naveen in power and out of power are strikingly different and are perceptible. He is no more uneasy. One may surmise that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo’s equanimity in defeat surpasses his conduct as a chief minister for 24 years on the trot. Was the projection of a "physically weak" Naveen before the elections a deliberate ploy by an ambitious group controlling him and the party?

Nobody can confirm that but visuals of Patnaik willingly or unwillingly dancing to the tunes of his Man Friday VK Pandian was, no doubt, more than evident.

Suave and extremely reticent, Naveen continues to be the leader of the masses with no match to his stature in the Opposition in the Odisha Vidhan Sabha. The voters regret his loss more than they rejoice in BJP’s victory in Odisha, that too for the first time.

In a way, the verdict against him was, perhaps, required to restore inner party democracy within the BJD, and equally against the "authoritarian" style of Pandian's functioning in the name of good governance. Naveen looks fresh, portraying himself as fit and conveying his decisions without any props or prompting. He is in a new 'Avatar', as admitted by even his staunchest critics.

How Will Naveen Treat the NDA Now?

Not known for his aggression and physical agility, how the BJD patriarch will handle things in the Assembly as the new Leader of Opposition looks intriguing. He has never sat in the Opposition ever since his entry into politics in 1997, and would, therefore, find the new assignment challenging.

Apparently, he would be there as a figurehead while the real job would be done by the Deputy Leader, Prasanna Acharya, who is a veteran well versed with the rules of business both in the Assembly and Parliament.

While Naveen has accepted the drubbing gracefully and senior leaders maintain that the party would be constructive in its criticism, it has announced not to extend "issue-based support", as has been the case in the past, to Narendra Modi-led NDA government in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJD has nine members.

Not having won a single Lok Sabha seat this time and the saffron party emerging as BJD’s principal rival, a reversal of the ten-year-old policy of extending help to Modi in both Houses does not come as a surprise. Gearing up to act as a strong Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Naveen on Monday asked his MPs to be the voice of the 4.5 crore people of Odisha and fight for justice.

It is a different matter that despite providing unconditional backing to the NDA government in both Houses for 10 years and enjoying a long-standing bonhomie with BJP, the regional outfit is still projecting the same old demands of special category status to the state, increase in coal royalty, among others as issues on which it would seek to corner the centre in the Upper House.

Building a Second Line of Leaders

With Pandian completely out of sight since 4 June, BJD watchers wonder how Naveen would steer his party in the coming years with most of the old guard either dead or thrown out. He has to rely on a new set of people and give them the freedom to come up with fresh ideas and help him implement those in the face of conventional methods of politicking slowly becoming passe.

One good thing that has happened in recent years is that the party has brought in young blood who need hand-holding. Given his age, which is a disadvantage for Patnaik, preparing the party's cadre for the 2029 elections cannot be entirely shouldered by him. Many still think that Pandian may continue to guide Patnaik discreetly on all matters because of the immense trust between the two. That, however, may not solve the problem.

Therefore, the BJD supremo has to build a second line of leaders and make them gradually acceptable to the people across the state. Other than him, none in his party has a pan-Odisha acceptance and the Pandian experiment in the elections proved to be a disaster.

Though known for his political master strokes, complete reliance on Naveen for the future may prove to be unfruitful. It is equally important to understand that Biju Patnaik's legacy may not hold any significance for young voters in the coming elections. Naveen's legacy would matter the most.

Since almost all political parties in India thrive on personality-based politics and their legacies, it would be wrong to assume that this trend will continue forever if the right successor is not chosen and groomed. Invariably, the successors are from the family in such situations and Patnaik cannot leave it to the people of Odisha to choose his successor.

(Srimoy Kar is a senior journalist based in Odisha. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)