BHUBANESWAR: Fresh from a crushing defeat in the panchayat elections, odds are stacked against the BJP to face another election within a short span.The undiminished popularity of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik combined with a well-oiled election machinery of the BJD, huge campaign funds and dozens of ministers and MLAs always ready to carry out the strategy of a core team micro-managing the electoral battle has turned the ruling party into virtually an unbreachable fortress.
In contrast, the BJP appears diminutive with no charismatic leader and no funds to take on the mighty BJD.The massive victory of the regional party in the panchayat elections has demoralised the BJP to such an extent that not many are keen to contest the forthcoming polls to urban local bodies. Finding candidates for seats reserved for scheduled castes (four) and scheduled tribes (three) has become a tough job for the BJP.
“While the BJD has started poaching a few known faces close to the BJP, certain of a defeat, others are reluctant to contest on party symbol fearing backlash after the election,” said a senior leader of the saffron party.When BJD is struggling with a huge crowd of aspirants and many of them trying to show their strength with supporters before the residence of their local MLAs, BJP party offices are wearing a deserted look.
While funds are not a constraint for the BJD, the case is just reverse for the BJP. The BJP had given Rs 50,000 to each candidate who contested for the post of corporator in 2013 ULB elections. The mayoral candidates were given Rs 5 lakh each.Admitting the fund constraints, State BJP president Samir Mohanty said, “I have no hesitation to say that we are having dearth of funds. The BJD has made election a costly affair.”If a BJD candidate could spend at least Rs 30 lakh in the zilla parishad election, one can imagine what will be expenditure for a corporator candidate in municipal corporation poll, he wondered.
Meanwhile, the party has set up committees for selection of candidates for the ULBs. The local MP, last time MP candidates, MLAs, district presidents, ex-presidents are members of the respective committees. An urban election committees headed by former minister KV Singhdeo is the final authority in case of any disputes of selection of candidates, Mohanty said.