CHANGE

THE FALL...

- SN AGRAGAMI & BIJAY CHAKI

024 will go down as an epoch-making year in Odisha politics. The fortress was stormed, the aura of invincibility shattered...to the extent that it put the very existence at stake.

Not one of the above was expected, almost unfathomable. But the people's power showed its supreme might, and the earth shook. The BJD was defeated and the 24-year-long reign of Naveen Patnaik as chief minister of Odisha came to an end.

Not only did the defeat pave the way for formation of the first BJP government in Odisha, the BJD was also found floundering for relevance at the national-level, without a single MP in the Lok Sabha for the first time since it was formed.

Till mid-2024, or more precisely June 4, no one could anticipate such a big shift in the politics of the state. Naveen was still reckoned unbeatable with his unwaning popularity among the masses and the continuous flow of welfare programmes among the masses and the continuous flow of welfare programmes covering each and every section, coupled with the organizational strength and election machinery of BJD across the state.