Modi ends 24-year reign of Naveen Patnaik in Odisha: Three reasons behind BJD's downfall

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has breached Naveen Patnaik's fortress in Odisha. With 78 seats, the saffron party now has an absolute majority in the 147-seat assembly and is poised to form its maiden government in the coastal state where Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had ruled since 2000 and was seemingly invincible until June 4.

The BJD, which had been in power in Odisha for the last 24 years, was stunned by the saffron surge in the 2024 elections. The Naveen Patnaik-led party, which had won 113 seats in the assembly in the 2019 elections, managed to get only 51 seats, followed by Congress with 14 seats, CPI(M) with one seat, and Independents with three seats.

In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had won only eight Lok Sabha seats in 2019, secured 20 Parliamentary seats this year.


Here are four reasons behind BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik's fall in Odisha:

Patnaik's Health
One reason behind BJD's fall can be attributed to the BJP successfully running a vitriolic campaign against Patnaik over his health conditions. PM Modi, in his election rally, said that if the BJP came to power in the state, the party would set up a special committee to ascertain the reason behind the 'sudden deterioration' in Patnaik's health.

PM Modi also hinted at a conspiracy behind the BJD supremo's 'deteriorating health'. In a veiled attack on BJD leader VK Pandian, PM Modi questioned whether a 'lobby' that was running the Odisha government on Patnaik's behalf was responsible for his health condition.

Power Grab
Earlier, a video went viral showing VK Pandian grabbing Patnaik's trembling hand during a rally and trying to hide it from public view. The BJP was quick to attack Pandian, saying it was symbolic of his power grab.

Pandian is a former bureaucrat and close aide of Naveen Patnaik. In 2011, Pandian was appointed as the Private Secretary to Patnaik, a position he held until 2023. In 2019, he was appointed Secretary 5T (Transformational Initiatives).

The BJP alleged that Naveen Patnaik is incapacitated by his Tamil-born Private Secretary.

Internal Power Struggle
Another factor that contributed to the party’s electoral failure was its lack of a credible second-rung leader. As all decisions were taken by Patnaik, the few leaders who were promoted to senior roles in recent years were not allowed to manage the party.