By Sunil Jena, Editor-in-Chief | The Politics Odia
In Odisha politics, tension is rising as the BJP strengthens its grip on grassroots power. Within just 14 months of forming the government, the BJP has managed to capture around 30 Block Chairman posts — a major setback for the BJD, which is losing control block by block.
This shift marks a clear trend of saffronisation in rural politics. In the 2022 Panchayat elections, BJD-backed candidates had won 278 out of 314 blocks. But after the change of government in the state, the situation is changing rapidly.
From Kendrapara to Kalahandi, and from Ganjam to Jajpur, the political balance at the grassroots is shifting. Once considered strongholds of the BJD before 2024, these districts are slowly slipping into the BJP’s fold.
- In Dharmasala, BJD suffered a major setback when Prabhat Balabantray (brother of former MLA Pranab Balabantray) resigned before the no-confidence vote.
- In Jagannath Prasad block, the BJP-supported candidate won the Vice-Chairman post.
- Earlier, BJD had already lost Khallikote and Kabisuryanagar blocks in Ganjam.
- In May, the Mahakalapada block of Kendrapara also slipped away from BJD.
- In April, the BJP won the Kolampur block in Kalahandi.
Many political observers believe more blocks will fall out of BJD’s control before the upcoming Panchayat elections. At the grassroots level, the BJP is aggressively working to break the BJD’s influence.
The BJP’s state president, Manmohan Sama, has launched a clear campaign to dismantle BJD’s strongholds. At the same time, Odisha Congress is struggling to reorganise itself under Bhakta Charan Das, failing to pose any real challenge at the village level.
The big question is: Will this continuous erosion of BJD’s rural base ensure BJP’s return to power in Odisha once again?
