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11-year-old partner dumps BJP in
Orissa
WSN Network
Bhubaneshwar:
India's Hindutva oriented right-wing ultra national party that often
talks of turning India into a Hindu rashtra and led a movement to
demolish a centutries old mosque, thus enraging and alienating
Muslims, got a major jolt last week when a rather secular ally in
Orissa, Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD), dumped it and
announced end of the 11 year old electoral understanding.
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Rising on star power, Captain looks to touch Dravidian nerve
His films
may not be superhits anymore, but the Captain (called so after
his blockbuster Captain Prabhakaran) is a big draw on the
streets of Tamil Nadu. The most active opposition leader in the
last three years, his DMDK’s posters stare at you even in the
unlikeliest nooks. With intense rural penetration and a proven
vote share of about 8%, he is the man on the move. The alliance
he is in is seen as having a brighter winning chance. Vijaykanth
owes his swift rise to the general voter apathy towards the
Dravidian parties, but his vote-transferring ability is yet to
be tested. |
The breakup
comes within months of brutal attacks on Christians by saffron
groups in kandhamal and elsewhere and widespread criticism of the
BJD for its understanding with a communal party. There were of
course some other major issues also, including differences over
economic decisions like Piosco steel project and Tata Steel venture.
Trouble had started brewing over a number of issues ever since
Naveen Patnaik’s second term as chief minister started in 2004, but
Kandhaman riots proved to be the last nail.
Communal riots
broke out in the district after Swami Laxmananda Saraswati’s murder
on August 23. Several churches were razed or damaged, a nun was
raped and around 35 people killed.
Patnaik was seen
as buckling before the national alliance partner and going slow in
proceeding against the guilty. Eventually when Patnaik did ensure
that VHP and RSS leaders were booked, the state BJP boycotted the
joint legislature party meeting on the eve of the assembly’s winter
session in November. And on the opening day of the session, BJP MLAs
disrupted House proceedings.
BJP leaders
believed that the events in Kandhamal would boost their electoral
prospects but the BJD was set to lose as a result since it lost its
secular sheen. However, the BJP performed miserably in the local
polls in
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, two towns of Kandhamal district as well as
in Baripada.
But the first
signs of discord had surfaced way back in 2005 when on June 22 no
BJP minister attended the MoU signing ceremony of the Posco steel
project, billed as one of the major achievements of the Patnaik
government.
Trouble again
erupted six months later when 12 tribals were killed in police
firing at Kalinga Nagar while protesting against the construction of
the Tata steel project. BJP leaders threatened to withdraw support
from the government and even rushed to
Delhi to meet
Rajnath Singh over the issue.
Singh turned
down their demand, but the aggressive posture of the state leaders
brought in chill in the intra-alliance ties.
11 March 2009
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