Even in their moment of collective triumph on the day of the election results, the one politician whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah did not fail to remember was the man who won his stupendous fifth term as Chief Minister in the coastal State of Odisha – Naveen Patnaik.

“I want to congratulate Naveen Patnaik in Odisha on his victory,” said Amit Shah, paving the way for a smooth tenure for the former NDA partner who has worked seamlessly with the PM for the last five years.

Continuing his uninterrupted tenure since 2000, Patnaik won a comfortable majority of 112 in the 147-member Assembly with a vote share of 44.71 per cent. Elections for the Odisha Assembly were held simultaneously with the general elections. The BJP got 23 seats in the Assembly with a vote share of 32.50 per cent.

Lok Sabha tally

In the Lok Sabha, Patnaik’s party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) cornered 12 seats with a 42.76 per cent vote share. The BJP won eight seats in the State with a vote share of 38.4 per cent. The BJP’s competitive spirit with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entirely missing in the ruling party’s dealings with Naveen Patnaik, whom they see as an ally in the Nitish Kumar mould.

“There are low-hanging fruits to be enjoyed in Odisha,” said a BJP leader, indicating that the BJP hopes to ride piggyback on Patnaik’s popularity to eventually claim the State.

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