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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
BJP Year 1: Mega rallies to music festivals, party gets ready to celebrate anniversary of Odisha win
Though not entirely unexpected, the BJP's Odisha win last June, dislodging the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government after almost a quarter of a century, marked one of the biggest shifts in the country's political landscape in recent years. Now, the party is preparing to mark one year in office and unveil its roadmap for the next decade by launching a fortnight-long outreach comprising an extensive media blitzkrieg, four mega conventions, and cultural extravaganzas. At the recent NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said an Odisha Vision document would be unveiled on June 12, when his administration completes a year. Top state government sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been invited to grace the occasion. The roadmap to 2036 is important since it marks Odisha's centenary. 'The Odisha Vision document is a comprehensive, actionable and inclusive report with suggestions received from over 3,20,000 people of the state through an online portal and analysed using AI. The Vision Document will be launched on June 12, and I will be personally monitoring its implementation,' Majhi said, adding that the aspiration is to grow the state's economy to $500 billion by 2036 and $1.5 trillion by 2047. The BJP has prepared a narrative to counter whatever the BJD comes up with. 'Our message will be loud and clear. It's about good governance and pro-people policies. We will reach out to the masses with a message on how the works, which couldn't be done in the past 24 years, have been achieved in the past one year,' said a senior BJP leader. The party will highlight, among other things, the 'successful implementation' of Subhadra, a cash-transfer scheme covering around 1 crore women, and the sanctioning of Rs 8,00 per quintal over and above the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy. These were two of its poll promises that received a lot of traction on the ground ahead of the elections. The BJP has also underlined its commitment to social justice by announcing 11.25% reservation for the backward classes in education. The Majhi government is also expected to highlight the launch of the central Ayushman Bharat health scheme, which the BJD had avoided, and the opening of the Puri Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove). 'We have also made governance accessible to all by breaking the barrier between the government and the people. The CM and his Cabinet have not just been holding the grievance redress cell meetings regularly, but also taking it to the far-off districts, considered to be neglected areas. During BJD rule, the CM last attended the grievance meeting in August 2008,' said the BJP leader. With the BJP having promised to fill 1.5 lakh government vacancies in five years, the Majhi government has increased the upper age limit for entry into various government services (non-uniform services) from 32 to 42 years. To take its message to people, the BJP has planned four big rallies in different parts of the state, starting with a public meeting in Bhubaneswar, where the government will unveil 365 projects to mark its first anniversary. Several Union Ministers, senior BJP functionaries, and CMs of BJP-ruled states are expected to attend these rallies in Berhampur (focused on women), Bargarh (for farmers), Dhenkanal (for the youth), and Baripada (for tribals). The party is set to kickstart these celebrations starting June 5 with four intellectual meetings focused on journalists, civil society, industry leaders, and public representatives, according to sources. To amplify its message, the government has also decided to deploy campaign vehicles, called Vikas Raths, in all 314 blocks of the state for around a month. Several cultural activities such as theatre, musical festivals, and a student competition on the subject 'Mo Swapna Ra Odisha (Odisha in my dream)' have also been planned, according to BJP insiders. The Opposition, however, is preparing to puncture holes in the ruling party's narrative, pointing out that most of the work it is taking credit for had been completed by the previous government. The Majhi government recently admitted in the Assembly that two dozen schemes of the previous government had been renamed. Targeting the Majhi government, the BJD and the Congress have labelled it a 'remote-control government' for its alleged dependence on New Delhi and are preparing their own outreach initiatives. This is an attempt to turn the tables on the ruling party, which had cornered the BJD over the alleged influence of former IAS officer V K Pandian over then CM Naveen Patnaik in the months leading up to the elections. Majhi has faced difficulty in appointing the heads of various corporations and public sector units, apart from filling six vacancies in his council of ministers. Senior BJD leader Arun Sahoo said the party would reach out to people to highlight the failures of the BJP government on multiple fronts, including a deteriorating law-and-order situation, crime against women, 'misleading' people on the backward classes quota in education, and corruption at the grassroots.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Odisha draws up ₹1,170 crore scheme to bring pilgrims to Jagannath temple
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha's Mohan Charan Majhi government is drawing up a scheme to facilitate the travel of nearly 1 million Jagannath devotees to Puri over the next five years, people familiar with the matter said. The proposed scheme, Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana, aims to bring 950,000 people from across the state to the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri via trains and buses. It is mostly aimed at people above the age of 50 years, particularly those from the weaker sections. There is no minimum age for widows to be eligible to make the pilgrimage under the scheme. 'The pilgrimage experience is expected to foster a sense of inner peace and spiritual harmony among the beneficiaries, which can positively impact their overall well-being and outlook towards life, a shared spiritual journey, fostering peace and harmony. Visiting the Jagannath temple remains a lifelong dream of millions of poor and vulnerable people in the state,' a tourism department official said. The state government had first announced the scheme in February during the presentation of the state budget. In 2016, the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government started the Baristha Nagarik Tirtha Yatra Yojana for Odisha residents in the 60-75 age group. Under this scheme, people could seek financial assistance to visit holy sites such as Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kamakhya, Shirdi, Nasik, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gaya, Tirupati, Ajmer, Pushkar and Mathura by train. But the beneficiaries had to share 50% of the travel and accommodation costs. Under the Shree Jagannath Darshan Yatra scheme, the state government would end up spending anything between ₹6,700 to ₹17,000 per person, depending on the districts the devotees come from. Unlike the Baristha Nagarik Tirtha Yatra Yojana, the new scheme does not require devotees to pay anything. The devotees would be selected via a lottery, and it would be the responsibility of the district administration to pick up and drop off the devotees at home. BJD scoffed at the scheme, saying the total number of beneficiaries was a little more than 2% of the state's projected population of over 46 million. Senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said the proposed number of 950,000 looks too small when compared to the total population of the state. 'The government should try to include at least half of the targeted population so that poor people are not deprived of the scheme,' he said. BJD MLA from Nayagarh Arun Sahoo recalled that when the previous Naveen Patnaik government came up with the Jagannath Parikrama project, the BJP criticised the move complaining that the BJD was using religion to garner votes. 'They are also doing the same thing. In the last year, BJP has done the same thing which we did. They have just renamed our schemes,' Sahoo added. Political analyst Rabi Das said the scheme can foster emotional goodwill, particularly among rural and tribal communities. 'Its branding in the name of Jagannath avoids political backlash, broadening public acceptance and helping the BJP build a loyal voter base ahead of future elections. The scheme also counters the legacy of the Biju Janata Dal by appealing to marginalized groups traditionally aligned with the BJD,' he said.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Odisha, BJD & Congress demand 27% backward classes quota in professional courses
Despite the Odisha government's announcement of 11.25 percent reservation for the backward classes in education, Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress continue to step up their social justice pitch – this time seeking a quota in medical, engineering and other professional courses. At a rally held outside the Raj Bhavan, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has demanded 27 percent reservation for the backward classes in 'a uniform manner' in higher education and technical educational courses such as medical and engineering. This comes days after the Mohan Charan Majhi Cabinet cleared a proposal to give 11.25 percent quota in the educational institutions to the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) – a move that would benefit 231 groups in the state. That reservation is to be implemented in all state public universities, state government and aided higher secondary and higher education institutions as well as undergraduate, postgraduate courses. Biju Janata Dal leaders including MPs, MLAs and senior leaders submitted a Memorandum before the Hon'ble Governor of #Odisha requesting his immediate intervention for the implementation of reservation for OBCs, SC and STs proportionate to their population. The leaders urged to… — Biju Janata Dal (@bjd_odisha) May 21, 2025 The move, according to observers, was an attempt to checkmate the BJD's pitch for social justice. BJD's OBC cell chairman Arun Kumar Sahoo called BJP government's 'a mere eyewash'. 'Of total 2.73 lakh seats in Plus-3 courses (graduation), around 70,000-80,000 seats are lying vacant and they announced a quota for these courses. They have tactically avoided implementation of the reservation in medical and engineering courses,' Sahoo said. The party also alleged that despite the scheduled tribes (ST) and scheduled caste (SC) communities comprising 22.5 percent and 16.25 percent of state's total population respectively, the current reservation in technical, medical, and engineering colleges stands at only 12 percent for STs and 8percent for SCs — totalling merely 20 percent. 'It falls significantly short of the 38.75 percent combined reservation that should be allocated in proportion to their population, as is the case in other sectors of higher education within the state,' another BJP leader said. The BJD's push for social justice comes nearly a year after it lost the assembly elections in the state to the BJP – its first election loss in 24 years. Significantly, 94 percent of the state's population comprise SC, ST and social and economic backward classes. Meanwhile, the Congress too has planned to hold a demonstration outside Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi's's residence Thursday demanding 27 percent reservation. On his part, Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj has slammed both the BJD and Congress. 'Those who deprived the backward classes of their constitutional rights while in power are now staging demonstrations,' he said.
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Shrikant Eknath Shinde-Led Delegation To Leave On May 21 With Anti-Terror Message
New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Monday said that the delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde will leave on May 21 and will expose Pakistan's sponsored terrorism across the world. "Our delegation is led by Shrikant will leave on 21st May night, we will be back by 3rd or 4th way Pakistan has become a terror hub and has exported terrorism to India and the issues we have faced because of terrorism. We will present these issues on the global will also present the reason because of which we had to conduct Operation Sindoor," the BJD leader told ANI. Sasmit Patra is part of the Shrikant Ekanth Shinde-led delegation. The multi-party delegations, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. The delegation, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde, will be visiting the United Arab Emirates, Liberia, Congo, and Sierra Leone. BJP's Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, along with Opposition members including Indian Union Muslim League MP Mohammed Basheer, BJD's Sasmit Patra, and Sujan Chinoy. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, targeting terror bases in Pakistan in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The operation targeted terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Following the strikes, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone attacks. In response, India launched coordinated airstrikes that damaged key military infrastructure across 11 Pakistani airbases. On May 10, both sides announced an understanding on cessation of hostilities.
Hans India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Prepare database of street hawkers: BJD
Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJD on Wednesday urged the police to prepare a database of street hawkers and regulate them in the wake of the incident of rape of a girl involving a West Bengal-based hawker. The regional party, in a memorandum to Puri SP Vinit Agrawal, appreciated the swift police action for arresting the accused in the Pipili rape incident. There should be meticulous and transparent investigation into this case, ensuring that all evidence is collected and analysed with utmost diligence and that the perpetrator is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the memorandum said. A street hawker, a resident of neighbouring West Bengal, on May 11 allegedly raped a girl in Pipili town. 'We call for the implementation of a strict regulatory framework for all street hawkers operating within Puri district, with a particular focus on those originating from outside Odisha,' the BJD said in the memorandum. 'This framework should include mandatory registration and verification procedures,' the party said. The police should create a comprehensive database containing the identities, addresses and relevant information of all street hawkers, it said. The BJD said that this database will facilitate effective monitoring and serve as a deterrent against potential criminal activity in the area. It also suggested enhancing police presence and proactive patrolling, particularly in vulnerable areas, including residential neighbourhoods and public spaces frequented by children. The Biju Janata Dal also advocated encouragement and implementation of community policing initiatives to foster trust and collaboration between law enforcement and locals, enhancing overall safety and security. The incident of rape that took place on Sunday evening in Pipili municipal area sparked outrage among locals. The victim's family filed a complaint at Pipili police station on Monday, following which the accused was arrested.
