Nirvik Bureau, Bhubaneswar, 16th October 2025
We at “The Nirvik”, like millions of others, wish our former Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, a very happy birthday, as he enters the 80th year of his life! May he continue to remain healthy and active for many more years.
However, yesterday’s decision by him to nominate Snehangini Churia as the BJD’s candidate for the Nuapada bypoll has shell-shocked political pundits and even the BJD’s supporters. Many are crying foul and many others are saying it is an internal sabotage to weaken the BJD further.
It is an open secret that V.K.Pandian continues to run the BJD even after announcing “sanyas” from politics in June 2024. He has the complete backing of Naveen Patnaik in this. What is inexplicable is that neither the BJD nor the supremo seem to be learning anything from the shock defeat of 2024. The major reason for the shock defeat was V.K.Pandian himself and his (mis)strategies.
For example, he leading the campaign and putting himself at the centre of all poll meetings alienated the people. It also gave muscle to the “Odia Asmita” narrative of the BJP. Secondly, the party denying tickets to fresh and winnable candidates and pursuing with the discredited and corrupt incumbents. Thirdly, the BJD becoming the tail of the BJP in every major political move of the latter even while mechanically chanting “equidistance”.
Yesterday’s decision reveals that the BJD continues to walk down the path of self-immolation. How, one may ask? Well, selecting a discredited candidate, who is a complete alien to Nuapada, is the first recipe for disaster. Secondly, it smells heavily of a secret alliance with the BJP – first, by allowing Jay Dholakia to be “won” over by the BJP and second, by fielding a weak candidate who is destined to bite the dust.
Those who advised Naveen Patnaik to make this choice have clearly betrayed the BJD. Sabotage is writ large on the walls of ‘Sankha Bhawan’! This is not the birthday present that Naveen Patnaik deserved from the people he trusts and supports, albeit wrongly.