Naveen Patnaik: The face of the nation

The Biju Janata Dal was founded on December 26, 1997, and named after legendary leader Biju Patnaik, the father of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The BJD, during its 26 years of existence, has become a “mass movement” instead of being just a political outfit. “My party has fought for the people of Odisha at every front and it will continue to serve the people of the State,” the Chief Minister had said. When the BJD was formed, Naveen was new to politics. In course of time, he successfully steered the party forward to make it a formidable political force in the State.

The BJD first formed the government in alliance with the BJP in the State and it continued till 2009.In the aftermath of the 2008 Kandhamal riots, the BJD parted ways with the BJP in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held in 2009.

The BJD, since its inception, has not lost any election and Naveen continues to remain the Chief Minister of Odisha for five consecutive terms since 2000. The party also continued to win a sizeable number of seats in Lok Sabha elections held in the last two decades.

“We are not working to win elections but to win the hearts of the people through service,” Naveen had said to party workers.In a clear message to the party leaders, Naveen quoted his father Biju Patnaik and said: “Do not be loyal to me, but be loyal to the cause of Odisha’s destiny.”

“The success of the regional party is a cause of concern for national parties. They (national parties like Congress and BJP) are never with the people of Odisha and would never fight for the interest of the State.” Naveen had said during the 17th Foundation Day of the BJD. Alleging attempts to defame BJD through various means, he said, “They (national parties) indulge in such activities after facing repeated defeats in elections.”

“The BJD has added a new chapter in the history of Odisha by successfully handling disasters, uplifting economic situation, bringing industrial development. The State has got international recognition for its efficient handling of cyclone Phailin in 2013,” Naveen said.

The Chief Minister has said that the BJD is accountable to the people of Odisha, who have turned the party into a social movement. “Behind the success of BJD was the dream of the people for a prosperous and strong Odisha. The party will work for the next 100 years with the support of all residents of the State,” he had said on the occasion of the BJD’s 25th Foundation Day.

Naveen acknowledged the selfless work of lakhs of party workers. The BJD is, with the blessings of the State’s people, the only party in the country whose popularity has been increasing every year, he claimed. Naveen had said the people of Odisha were the boss of the BJD and that they had no boss in Delhi.

Prasanna Acharya, one of the founder members of BJD, said Naveen Patnaik is unlike a typical politician. “He never accuses others, he never retaliates with harsh words. He always tries to keep a good rapport with people. He does not believe in confrontation or compromise. But, where the interest of the State is concerned, he is the last man to compromise,” Acharya said.

Naveen has raised a strong voice every time the BJD has felt its interest getting compromised by certain actions of the Central government, he said.

Naveen’s welfare politics has made him popular with the masses. He is seen as a leader with a clean image and simple lifestyle. Naveen has gained mass support following a plethora of welfare schemes introduced by his government for the benefit of women, rural poor, farmers, old and youth.

The support from women voters to Naveen has been a major contributing factor to BJD’s success.

Setting the tone for the 2024 general elections, Naveen Patnaik called upon the party rank and file to effectively counter the misinformation campaign by Opposition political parties.

“The transformation of Odisha has come as a big shock for the Opposition parties and they do not have any issue to raise against the State government,” Naveen said.

He said, “They therefore take shelter of lies and launch misinformation campaign against the BJD government. We have to effectively counter them from the grassroots level”.

The Biju Janata Dal has worked tirelessly towards the social and cultural development of the people in Odisha. Reaching out to the people through its welfare policies, the BJD has become a powerful regional party.

On October 2, 2019, the BJD government rolled out ‘Mo Sarkar’ (My Government) programme to ensure accountability of ¬public officials in delivery of government services. The scheme involves taking feedback from people on the quality and timeliness of the services and ¬reward or punish officials on that basis.

Naveen said, “People are the real masters in a democracy and every institution exists to serve citizens in a professional and dignified manner.Mo Sarkar is an initiative under the 5T model of governance to herald a transformation in government offices.” 5T stands for Teamwork, Technology, Transparency, Transformation and Time-limit.

“Many people say BJD is a successful regional party. But for me, BJD is most successful socio-economic movement in the country,” Naveen said.

The BJD has been working relentlessly for the development of the people of the State for the last 26 years. In the last two decades, BJD’s strength has grown in every passing year, winning almost all major elections. The party has now geared itself up for 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.