Lok Sabha polls 2014: BJP may surprise Naveen Patnaik and Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha prepares to vote for the second and final phase of polls on Thursday, there's disquiet in Naveen Patnaik's BJD. For, more and more reports are coming in of an unexpected rise of BJP. No one is saying BJP will upstage BJD. But can it take some of the sheen off Patnaik's unchallenged status in Odisha?

When the 2014 polls were announced, BJP's prospects did not appear particularly bright. Pollsters had then predicted a repeat of the 2009 results when BJP could not win even one of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. But the latest survey predicting seven seats for BJP has sent alarm bells ringing. Both BJD and BJP are fighting the 2014 elections on their own.

BJP in 2009 had polled 17% votes against 37% by BJD. This time, BJP leaders claim the party will notch up over 30% votes and emerge as the single largest party in both the LS and the concurrent state election. Political pundits don't take this claim seriously - in sober moments, nor do BJP partisans - but more than realism, the claim shows a sense of optimism.

There is indeed a Narendra Modi effect in the state, especially among the 17-lakh young and new voters. In his four visits here in the last three months, Modi has ignited an anti-Naveen fire by comparing the 14 years of BJD rule with his 13-year reign in Gujarat. At the same time, the virtual collapse of Congress is a matter of concern for BJD as most of the former's vote could go to BJP.

"BJP was a sleepy party and did nothing to galvanize its cadres in the last five years after Naveen broke the alliance in 2009," said a BJP leader . "This gave rise to speculation that Naveen was invincible. But Modi's tirade against Naveen has changed the political discourse here."