Nothing to be surprised about BJP poll debacle when division is more: Bijoy Mohapatra

After Kharavela Swain, another party veteran Bijoy Mohapatra disapproved the manner in which the BJP leadership handled the rural polls.
Odisha BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra (File photo | PTI)
Odisha BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra (File photo | PTI)

BHUBANESWAR: That all is not well in the state BJP is evident from the disgraceful defeat of the party in the just-concluded panchayat polls and some senior leaders blaming the core committee controlling party affairs for the catastrophic mismanagement.

After Kharavela Swain, another party veteran Bijoy Mohapatra disapproved the manner in which the BJP leadership handled the rural polls. He expressed doubt if the core committee, the powerful decision-making body of the BJP, has ever met and discussed about the preparations needed to face the elections which is completely different from Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

A seasoned politician, Mohapatra said he was least surprised over the poll results because the party had not done its homework. “In my four decades of political career, I have seen many elections from panchayat to Lok Sabha. The kind of preparations we made during the 2017 panchayat elections was missing this time. There was no strategy nor any blueprint for this election,” he said.

The former minister said that there was no discussion with leaders at the grassroots nor any meetings at the district or state level. If a party goes to such a massive poll without any preparedness, such a defeat is inevitable. He said the party went to sleep mode after a stellar performance (winning 297 seats) in the 2017 elections. In reality, the BJP's success was due to the backing of an influential dissident group of the ruling BJD.

Recalling his meetings with some BJD dissidents before the 2017 elections, Mohapatra said many of the block and district level leaders of the regional party told him that they will vote for the BJP to teach a lesson to the local legislators. However, some in the BJP took it for granted that the popularity of the saffron party is fast growing and they are going to form the next government in the state. What is surprising is that the BJP never took any initiative to rope in those BJD dissidents into the fold of the saffron party, he said.

On the spectacular victory of BJD, Mohapatra said that the regional party has been seriously working for the election for more than a year. Dedicated teams of BJD workers were always visible on the ground while the Opposition was missing. He admitted that dissension is more and no one is ready to listen to others in the BJP.

Dismissing the claims of the BJP leadership that money power and administrative support came in handy for the BJD, Kharavela who is in charge of the Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency said, “I had no money but two candidates each won from Boudh and Phulbani districts.”

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