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BJP-BJD combine forges ahead in Orissa

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Unlike in the Lok Sabha election, and as expected, the people of Orissa have voted overwhelmingly for the Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in the state assembly election. This should see BJD leader Naveen Patnaik installed as the state's chief minister.

In the 1999 general election, the people had voted for the BJP's star campaigner and prime ministerial candidate Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But this time they have preferred to throw their weight behind BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who had exhorted them to help him fulfil his father Biju Patnaik's dream.

Till 2345 IST today, the BJD had won 34 seats and was leading in 34 while its ally had won 23 and was leading in 15. Thus, of the 147 seats in the state assembly, the alliance was heading for an absolute majority with victories or leads in 106 seats. The BJD had contested 83 seats while the BJP contested 64. But the BJD has won or is leading in a larger percentage of the seats it contested.

In the Lok Sabha election, the BJD had contested 12 seats and won 10, while the BJP contested 9 and won all. But today the BJD is leading in almost twice the number of seats as the BJP, proving that its Naveen Patnaik's charisma at work. Clearly, the son has also made a place for himself in the hearts of the people. The BJD has contested in 83 seats and the BJP in 64. Together, they are headed for a major victory in the state.

The Congress, the erstwhile ruling party in the state, is likely to win only about 30 seats, down substantially from the 81 it won in 1995.

The results indicate that the people have voted for a change from the Congress, which is accused of mismanagement and corruption and, most visibly, the mishandling of the situation after the cyclone last year.

The BJD/BJP combine have won 14 seats while the Congress has managed four seats till now. Unofficial sources said the combine has actually won in more than 30 seats but the announcement of the results was awaited. Naveen Patnaik, the BJD president and Union minister, is ahead of his rival from the Congress by over 9000 votes; BJP state president Manmohan Samal, though, was leading by a thin margin of 2000 votes over his closest competitor.

The combine leaders, including BJP legislature party leader Biswabhusan Harichandan, won from Bhubaneswar by a record margin of over 95,000 votes. The other winners of the combine include state BJP vice president Prasant Nanda from Begunia seat and BJD candidates and former ministers Bhagwat Behera from Nayagarh and Damodar Rout from Ersama seat.

All the Congress heavyweights, except Chief Minister Hemanand Biswal, have either lost the elections or are trailing behind the candidates of the combine. The beaten leaders include Pradesh Congress committee president and former chief minister J B Patnaik and several senior ministers like Revenue Minister Jagannath Patnaik, Water Resource Minister Basant Biswal, Urban Development Minister Bhupinder Singh, and deputy speaker B B Singh Mardaraj.

Those Congress candidates who managed to retain their seats were Excise Minister Suresh Kumar Routray from Jatni assembly seat and Pradesh Youth Congress president Laletendu Vidayadhar Mahapatra from Brahamgiri seat.

Despite the winning spree, there was a swing of 9.72 per cent against the combine compared to the Lok Sabha elections. The BJD lost 3.83 per cent this time and the BJP, 5.88 per cent.

The Congress suffered a negative swing of 4.03 per cent this time. The Communist Party of India is leading in one seat, Kabisuryanagar while the Communist Party of India-Marxist is leading in two seats, Nilagiri in the coastal belt and Bonai in western Orissa. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is leading in three assembly seats, Birimitrapur, Khunta and Kuluranima.

Thanks to the support from expelled BJD leader Bijay Mahapatra, the Trinamul Congress candidate won from Patkura assembly seat, considered a Mahapatra stronghold, in Kenderapara district.

Political observers feel that due to the presence of strong rebels candidates from either the BJD or BJP in the fray the combine lost several seats to independents, the Congress and others.

EARLIER REPORT:
The BJD is surging ahead in 70 constituencies; the BJP, in 35

Assembly Election 2000

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