BHUBANESWAR: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a new-found aggression among the Opposition BJP and Congress, the ruling BJD is set to hold its two-day State Executive and extended State Council meeting from December 20.
The meeting is said to be crucial as the party will have to chart its strategy to deal with the new challenges posed by a strident Opposition, particularly the BJP which has already set upon strengthening its organisation in the State. Starting from the recent loss in the bypolls, where it ceded its Balasore Assembly seat to the BJD, the BJP seems to have changed tack to launch an all out onslaught on the ruling party on various issues.
The saffron party has adopted an aggressive posture on law and order issues and latched on to the Nayagarh minor girl murder case to corner the Naveen Patnaik government. The manner in which it has pushed Central and State leadership into a full-fledged attack on the BJD shows that it is no longer going to play the second fiddle. Its performance in some of the recently held local elections like the Hyderabad municipal polls, where it made deep inroads, seems to have a cascading effect in Odisha and the party is eyeing similar results here in the near future.
The ruling BJD has remained unmatched in its organisational reach and public perception, but would like to redo its political game-plan with the urban body and panchayat polls coming up over the next two years. Recent developments that have drawn a senior minister and an MLA into crime and corruption cases have done the party’s image no good. While Agriculture Minister Arun Sahoo is under attack over alleged involvement in “shielding the Nayagarh murder accused”, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy has been arrested in an alleged recruitment scam run by the son of a senior IFS officer.
Chief Minister and party supremo Naveen Patnaik is likely to take some tough calls to maintain his intolerance to corruption and crime. While speculation is rife about a ministerial reshuffle in January, the party has also decided to further strengthen the organisation at grassroots. Some of the ministers are likely to be shifted from the Cabinet to the organisational work ahead of the two elections which are key to the all important 2024 general polls.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, several committees were announced by the BJD with theme-based distribution of work among the leaders. Sources maintained that such committees will be done away with as its area of work overlapped with the functions of the regular office-bearers. As political activities have already started with easing of Covid-19 restrictions, the MLAs will be asked to visit their constituencies regularly to be in touch with the voters.
While the State Executive body will meet on December 20, the State Council meeting is scheduled the following day, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra told mediapersons here. However, Naveen is unlikely to attend the meetings and participate through video conference from the Naveen Nivas.
The regional party, which is also set to observe its 24th Foundation Day on December 26, has decided to give its organisational set up a new look by bringing in new members. Political, economic and organisational resolutions will be passed at the two-day meeting and responsibility for working out the strategies will be entrusted to the newly elected office-bearers, Mishra said.
Senior general secretary of BJD Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said that the foundation day celebrations of the party will be held in all Assembly constituencies and urban bodies by adhering to Covid-19 regulations.