Naveen Patnaik’s Political U-Turn After 29 Years: BJD and Congress Leaders Share Stage During Rajya Sabha Nomination

Bhubaneswar: In a development that has stirred political circles in Odisha, former Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday appeared alongside Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Bhakta Charan Das during the filing of nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections.

The unusual political moment unfolded as Rajya Sabha candidates Dr. Santrupta Mishra and Dr. Datteswar Hota submitted their nomination papers. While Mishra is the official nominee of the Biju Janata Dal, Hota has emerged as a joint candidate backed by the BJD, the Indian National Congress, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The sight of Naveen Patnaik and Bhakta Charan Das sharing the stage marked a striking shift in Odisha’s political optics, given the BJD’s historical positioning against the Congress.

The BJD itself was born in 1997 amid intense political churn in Odisha during the Congress rule. The period was marked by widespread criticism over deteriorating law and order and several high-profile incidents that shook public confidence. Among them were the killings of Christian missionaries such as Graham Stewart Staines and Father Arul Doss, the widely discussed Anjana Mishra gang rape case, and the perceived administrative failures in responding to the devastation caused by the 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone.

At the time, Naveen Patnaik, then serving as Union steel minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had sharply criticised the Congress government for its handling of the cyclone aftermath and law-and-order issues. Riding on public anger and the legacy of his father, legendary leader Biju Patnaik, Naveen undertook extensive tours across the state. The momentum eventually helped the BJD secure a decisive victory in the 2000 Assembly elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

However, in 2009 Naveen Patnaik severed ties with the BJP, branding it a “communal party.” In the years that followed, he repeatedly asserted that the BJD maintained an “equidistant” stance from both the Congress and the BJP, although the party occasionally extended issue-based support to governments led by both parties at the Centre.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Patnaik appeared to endorse the idea of cooperation with the Congress when asked whether the move reflected his long-standing commitment to secular politics. Responding in the affirmative, he added a cryptic remark when asked about the future of such cooperation: “Time always says future history.”

The comment has triggered speculation in political circles that the BJD and Congress may be gradually moving towards a tactical understanding to counter the growing influence of the BJP in the state.

Bhakta Charan Das further reinforced this perception with his remarks.

“Our principles and ideology are identical. We have always practiced secularism. In politics, time is a great factor. As per the demand of the time, new equations emerge, and we will continue our fight against the BJP,” he said, hinting at the possibility of closer coordination between the two parties in the days ahead.

The evolving political signals have set off discussions about a potential realignment in Odisha’s political landscape as parties recalibrate strategies ahead of future electoral contests.