Mohan Charan Majhi, the first BJP politician to be sworn in as Chief Minister of Odisha, would set a new milestone while breaking an old one.
Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata Dal served as Chief Minister for 24 years and 99 days, the second longest tenure in India behind Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim, who served 66 days longer. Mr. Majhi, a member of the Santali tribe, exemplifies the BJP’s efforts to gain support among tribal tribes in central and east India, as evidenced by their endorsement of President Droupadi Murmu during her candidature.
Mr. Majhi started his political career as an administrator and has extensive experience as a legislator and political organiser. In the late 1990s, he was the village sarpanch. His rise represents a significant achievement for the BJP, which has been able to undermine the BJD’s second-rung leadership by portraying the party as directionless without Mr. Patnaik and his reliance on the bureaucracy. This bureaucratic over-reliance, which is also the BJD’s Achilles heel, was employed for political outreach as well as governance and the implementation of Mr. Patnaik’s initiatives. With the Congress losing ground, the BJP has steadily expanded as the BJD’s rival.
Following a harsh and personal campaign that targeted Mr. Patnaik’s lieutenant, V.K. Pandian, for his Tamil heritage, Mr. Majhi’s swearing-in ceremony also signalled a return to some degree of political amity with the BJD. The BJD’s initiatives in the State have facilitated faster GDP growth, improved service delivery and welfare measures for rural areas, and better diversification of the economy away from agriculture. The optics of these developments were positive, and the BJP ought to concentrate on maintaining them.
Odisha remains one of the poorest states in the country, with an estimated 11.07% of its population falling below the Multidimensional Poverty Index in 2023 (NITI-Aayog). Only six major states have higher numbers. Mr. Majhi and his colleagues face a daunting assignment.
Odisha rewarded Mr. Patnaik with a long tenure for bringing calm to the state, which had suffered communal rioting in tribal sections under his party’s collaboration with the BJP.
It is imperative that the BJP does not construe this mandate as endorsing its Hindutva philosophy and going back to the days of communal discord. Its attention must be directed towards advancing Odisha’s development instead.
ABHISHEK VERMA
