Odisha: Shakespearean End For Naveen-Modi Bonhomie, Politically?

Naveen Patnaik played his primary political innings as the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha for over 24 years, from March 5, 2000, to June 12, 2024.

Before Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stepped into active politics in 2002, Patnaik had already preceded him by having a firm footing in politics as a Member of Parliament from Odisha.   

Patnaik founded the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in 1997 and served as MP before his uninterrupted five-term tenure as Chief Minister, making him one of India's longest-serving state leaders.

Since Modi came to power as Prime Minister in 2014, somehow, there has been a notion in political circles here that he developed a bonhomie with Patnaik, regardless of the jibes unleashed by Modi’s close confidante Amit Shah, in particular, at him on several occasions till 2019.

Patnaik literally took the BJP head-on and rode a lonely chariot (bus ride) amid uncertainties that a party could dare a winning brigade such as the BJP, with all its cylinders blasting in many states in the country. Patnaik successfully made it to the Assembly for the fifth time in 2019.  

“His victory in 2019 was a nasty rebuttal to the Modi bandwagon and a silent warning for Shah and Modi that the BJD chief was impervious to fear-mongering tactics by Shah who, in fact, was the most heard heckler against Patnaik”, said Ritik Pramanik, a political analyst.

In contrast to the acerbic politics adopted by Modi and his cohorts, Patnaik espoused politics of decency and composure, and that was something even many of his rivals could not grudge and, rather admired.        

However, BJD’s defeat in the 2024 general elections proved to be the last nail for Naveen Patnaik, who has not been able to recover from that shock. Added to that a major disadvantage came when the BJP nearly swept the Lok Sabha polls by winning 20 of the total 21 seats in Odisha. 

Critics were quick to interpret the BJD’s loss as a deal mutually struck to ease the selection of candidates against BJP so that the impediments for BJD candidates were visible.   

But this time around, Modi was consumed by the gluttony of electoral hegemony and saw to it that Patnaik suffered a decisive reduction to only 51 Assembly seats, in a House of 147 and transitioned to the role of a Leader of Opposition that was politically not, perhaps, commensurate for a man having a dominion of 24 years.   

After BJD's loss in the 2024 Assembly Lok Sabha polls, Patnaik transitioned to the role of LoP in June 2024. Although it was not a bad number for BJD to have won 51 seats in the Assembly, but he could not be the same charismatic persona due to several reasons.

Deteriorating health came as a de-motivating factor for the 79-year-old frail BJD supremo, as if he seems headed to a Shakespearean end in politics. Plus, his over dependence on bureaucrat turned politician, V K Pandian, had already sown seeds of discontentment among many BJD leaders.   

But since quite some time Naveen has remained, and still does, a political acolyte of Modi despite Patnaik’s imposing stature as a fulsome leader.  

“Then, the BJP under Modi must have realised that BJD under Patnaik was getting more and more invincible for the saffron brigade and there was a need for BJP to become more frontal with Patnaik. The latter was made to realise that for his survival, politically, some compromises were essential, thus making the 2024 elections tricky for BJD” said Kameswar Rao, a senior journalist.

“Although the BJD won 51 out of 147 Assembly seats in 2024, but the waterloo underneath the latter was forced to accept that Modi also wanted his slice of cake for Parliament. Else, it is hard to believe that BJP could have had a walkover by winning 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats without some understanding between both” Pramanik would have us believe.

 Based on recent political developments in early 2026, the BJD is experiencing significant internal challenges and electoral setbacks that some observers characterise as a dramatic decline, reminiscent of a tragic turn.  

The key indicators of this instability include: Internal rebellion and cross voting in the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections by eight BJD MLAs. This was preceded by a mild rebellion during voting on Waqf board amendments.  

The party is facing question marks about its decision-making, with criticism directed at the influence of some non-state players and a lack of clear direction in its relationship with BJP, specifically regarding the "equidistant" policy.

As regards regional outfits in the other states, the Modi-led dispensation used some of them like crutches in different ways and then abandoned them, and BJD is no exception.

“But, today, the dispensation at the Centre led by two Gujarat musketeers have reached a state where there is nothing to be envious about. A faltering diplomatic policy, getting painted in bad colours due to factors, such as the Epstein files and so on, public welfare issues playing second fiddle and the only thing in focus is ensuring electoral wins anyhow. It is simply a ticking bomb situation", predicts Rabi Das, a senior political analyst.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Odisha, with over 40 years’ experience in the profession. The views are personal.