BHUBANESWAR: Verdict 2019 is historic for both India and Odisha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have returned with a massive mandate, beating every notion of anti-incumbency and a perceived mood for change among the electorate to smithereens.
The latter, in fact, has emerged a bigger force by returning to a record fifth term in power in the State with almost the same strength that he had in 2014. To have not only dismissed a four-term anti-incumbency but also stonewalled the BJP surge for the second successive election is nothing less than a ‘superhero’ feat as the Modi wave engulfed, virtually, the whole country.
As one analyses the astounding electoral success of Modi and Naveen, both come across as near mirror images of each other in leadership traits as well as political and policy direction. Both have towering personalities with a reputation of incorruptibility and have immensely benefitted from a weak opposition without a face to match their popularity.
However, the biggest factor that has contributed to the massive victory of both is the Labhaarthi (beneficiary). In elections 2019, the Labhaarthi has emerged a new category of vote-bank that has literally swept away all the conventional equations like caste, religion and social strata and resulted in the humongous electoral consolidation in their favour.
While Balakot and playing up of nationalistic sentiments by Modi all through the election campaign might be touted as the turning point for the PM, the real rallying force for him has been the beneficiaries, who belonging to the poorest of the poor sections and the rural populace, constitute the major chunk of the electorate. Modi’s pet initiatives like the Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat household toilets, Ujjwala scheme and PM Awas Yojana, often mocked and criticised by the elite over some implementation lapses, have had a tremendous impact on the people. The results are crystal clear in Uttar Pradesh as the Labhaarthi has broken the formidable arithmetic of the Mahagathbandhan and changed the electoral narrative in the country for ever.
Naveen Patnaik in Odisha has, in fact, been a much older proponent of welfare and delivery of entitlement model of Governance. In his 19-year-old reign, he has covered all sections of the population with focused schemes and efficient delivery mechanism to ensure that they reached the intended beneficiary. While he had launched more than 100 schemes, proclaiming ‘womb-to-tomb’ coverage from `1-a-kilo rice to Mission Shakti SHG movement to `5-meal Aahaar scheme, in 19 years, the last five years have seen him go on an overdrive.
The flagship KALIA scheme providing `10,000 to farmers and financial assistance for the landless farmers and farm labourers was launched as an alternative to the clamour for loan waivers as vigorously pursued by the Congress. The scheme, which has benefitted more than 40 lakh farmers in the State, has not only been a game changer but also served as a blueprint for even the Modi Government to follow in the PM-KISAN Yojana.
One of the other major initiatives has been the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, the State’s own health assurance scheme providing free treatment to people to the extent of `5 lakh for males and `7 lakh per women and girls. More than 1.1 crore people have already benefited from the scheme in less than two years.
Along with the thrust on infrastructure development from roads, bridges, electricity and water supply, the focus on village development and delivery of public services through his directly-monitored Ama Gaon Ama Vikas and PEETHA programmes have been immensely impactful.
The welfare schemes and successful implementation have created a committed constituency of beneficiaries that transcends social standing, rural and urban geographies for Naveen. Not a single family from the poor sections will be found to be untouched by Naveen’s welfare schemes.
Further, an astute politician that Naveen is, he kept Modi’s Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme out and also delayed the extension of PM-KISAN to Odisha. Both the schemes would have directly clashed with his own similar schemes and thus diluted their impact.
Now, as Naveen has stormed back to the helm, how he expands the welfare model further and gives shape to his much-vaunted New Odisha remains to be seen.