BJD proves time and again that good and clean Governance pays

Now that Western Odisha, the so-called Congress and BJP bastion, has voted emphatically & comprehensively for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), it is pertinent to pause and ascertain what could have led to this massive mandate of the masses.

Before I try to do that, a tabular comparison of where BJD stood vis-à-vis other political parties in Western Odisha in 2008 and where it stands today is presented herein, to highlight the magnitude and the significance of the victory.

Thumping Victory for BJD in Western Odisha

Party	2008			2013
	No. of seats won	% of seats won	No. of Chairperson post held	No. of seats won	% of seats won	No. of Chairperson post held
BJD	84	27.72	5	197	64.38	17
Congress	104	34.32	6	56	18.30	1
BJP	82	27.06	7	36	11.78	1
Others	33	10.89	2	17	5.56	1

The speculation that the much-hyped anti-incumbency factor and the lawyers’ agitation for a permanent High Court bench in the region might affect the ruling party’s performance, turned out to be a damp squib. Clearly the popularity and clean image of our exemplary CM Naveen Patnaik helped the party in romping home. On his part, the CM, in his typical modest manner, attributed it to “people’s magic”.

But the moot question is “Do voters really reward politicians for reforms and good governance?” If the results of the urban body elections in 66 civic bodies few months earlier, and in the 20 bodies in Western Odisha now are any indication, they actually do. People of Odisha have justly punished the corrupt Congress and the faction-ridden BJP in favour of the development and pro-poor BJD. While the CM has thanked the people of Western Odisha for reposing their profuse faith in him and his government, we hope that the people of Odisha will shower their love and blessings on the party in the 2014 elections, as well.