BHUBANESWAR: With the three-tier panchayat and urban local body elections expected anytime after the Census operations, possibly in the last week of March or first week of April 2027, the state BJP on Saturday began a two-day state executive committee meeting here on Saturday. The BJP will review the performance of its two-year-old government and work out a strategy to consolidate its political gains at the grassroots.
The meeting, held at the Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, assumes significance as the panchayat elections will be the first major electoral test of the BJP’s popularity after it formed its first government in the state in June 2024.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said the meeting will deliberate on a 10-point agenda, including the political situation in the state, organisational issues and the performance of welfare and development programmes of both the Centre and the state government. “We will discuss and finalise our strategy for the elections in the two-day meeting,” Pujari said.
He said the party will review the implementation and impact of various programmes of the central and state governments, identify shortcomings and decide on corrective measures. The meeting will pass two separate resolutions on the successful completion of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at Centre and its achievements and completion of two years of the state government.
“The meeting discussed the promises made by the state BJP before the election and promises fulfilled. The government has also made new promises. There will be a resolution thanking the chief minister for fulfilling maximum promises in the last two years,” he added.
The BJP leadership is particularly keen to consolidate its position in rural areas where the forthcoming three-tier panchayat polls are expected to provide a crucial indication of whether the party has been able to translate its 2024 Assembly victory into sustained grassroots support.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy chief ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, state BJP president Manmohan Samal, national general secretary Sunil Bansal, Odisha in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and co-in-charge Lata Usendi were among the senior leaders attending the meeting. Around 400 party functionaries are participating in the two-day deliberations.