Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday with a call to his cadres to be ready for the next 100 years. The choice of the venue, the religious city of Puri, was significant, as was Patnaik's call to “mothers” to shower their blessings on the party, both seemingly with an eye on the growing footprint of the BJP in the state. With the BJD the most successful regional party in the country, with its run of wins uninterrupted, Patnaik took a swipe at the national parties such as the BJP and Congress, saying that unlike them, the BJD was Odisha’s party. “The agenda of national parties will always be national politics. Odisha will never be the focus of their agenda. Only one regional party – Biju Janata Dal – can drive Odisha’s development,” the BJD president said. A regional party must make service of the people its agenda and the BJD had never diverted from it, Patnaik said, adding that his party's policy was “Odisha first”, with the participation of every household of the state in it. “Our first duty is our state and its people, its interests, its development, its glory, its language and its culture. The BJD has been working for the self-esteem of Odisha. Our only vested interest is the development of Odisha and its people.” In the 2024 Assembly polls, the BJD will seek a sixth straight term in power – it first formed the government in March 2000 – all led by Patnaik. Addressing the party workers at the meeting, Patnaik said: “If mothers shower their blessings, the BJD will serve the people of Odisha for 100 years and not just 25 or 50 years. I also request people from every sphere, especially youths who believe in the development of Odisha, to join the party to take the state to new heights.” The Patnaik government's emphasis on its Odia asmita (identity) is also meant as a counter to the BJP's Hindutva push. As part of the same effort, the Patnaik government has in place a project worth over Rs 3,000 crore to transform Puri into a world-class tourist place. The CM said the BJD does not depend on a person or two but is a social movement carrying forward the “asha, vishwas and swabhimaan (aspiration, faith and self-esteem)” of the people of Odisha. Patnaik also reaffirmed his government’s commitment towards empowerment of women through Mission Shakti, covering around 70 lakh rural women, since 2001. The self-help groups set up under it are considered the biggest factor behind the BJD’s successive electoral victories. Named after Patnaik's father and Odisha icon Biju Patnaik, the BJD was founded on December 26, 1997. Recalling the late leader, Patnaik said: “Biju Babu was not a leader, he was a phenomenon and he was completely futuristic, way ahead of his time.” He also expressed his gratitude to the 4.5 crore people of Odisha for reposing faith in him for the past 25 years.
