Three months after its defeat, the BJD, which governed for over a decade and a half, is reviewing its electoral performance. Although no formal committee has been established for this review, party leaders have directly attributed the loss to poor election management.
Sarveserba V.K. of the BJJ has also pointed, though indirectly, at Pandian and his team for the defeat.Party chief Naveen Patnaik, who met with leaders and workers from various districts at Shankh Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, discussed the reasons behind the loss, with a focus on Kalahandi and Nabarangpur.
During the meeting, tribal leader Pradeep Majhi detailed the factors contributing to the party’s downfall in Nabarangpur.Majhi cited three main reasons for the defeat in his district:
1. Alliance Rumors: Widespread speculation of a potential BJ-BJP alliance cost the party credibility, especially among minority voters.
2. Internal Rivalry: Majhi blamed infighting, where certain leaders sought to undermine others, for weakening the party’s position.
3. Poor Election Management: He pointed to a lack of effective strategy and organization as critical factors in the defeat.
Majhi noted that not only did he lose his seat, but several Tanua MLAs also faced defeat due to these issues.In the recently concluded elections, BJD managed to secure 51 seats, while BJP won 78, Congress 14, and independents took 4 seats.