Naveen Patnaik turns 76; BJD plans to propagate 'Naveenism' to counter opposition

Bhubaneswar: The BJD seeks to inculcate the principles of 'Naveenism' in Odisha by spreading Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's message of tolerance, "noiseless" hard work and dedication from October 16, on the occasion of the 76th birthday of the regional party's supremo.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his party do not spend time engaging in verbal duels with opposition camps; rather they speak through their actions, said BJD's general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das.

The ruling party in Odisha was recently labelled "corrupt" by BJP president J P Nadda.

Nadda, during his recent visit to the state, also accused the state government of harbouring ministers allegedly involved in murder cases.

Asked why the BJD maintained silence over the BJP leader's remarks, Das said the party believes in "talking less and working more".

"Naveenism is all about tolerance, noiseless hard work and dedication. We are not afraid of the BJP or for that matter any other political party. The BJD believes in talking less and working more; it does not engage in war of words with opposition leaders," he said.

"The party has decided to spread 'Naveenism' across the state from October 16, the day Patnaik celebrates his 76th birthday. He has been into politics for 25 years and held the post of CM since 2000. Over the past two decades, he has set his own model of governance," the Jajpur MLA said.

Echoing him, BJD's senior vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra said party functionaries, before the launch of the month-long 'padayatra' on October 2, were told to avoid getting provoked by any remarks made by the opposition.

"BJD's grassroots-level leaders were also given explanations about 'Naveenism'. They were asked to focus on development work, dedicate their lives to the service of humanity," Mishra said.

He also claimed that Patnaik is the "lone chief minister in India, who has been seeking the inclusion of the word 'Ahimsa' (non-violence) in the Preambles of the Constitution".

People of Odisha ensured the end of Congress "misrule" and voted the BJD to power as they, too, want peace and non-violence to prevail, Mishra added.

The ruling BJD, which has set a target of winning all 21 Lok Sabha seats and 110 of 147 assembly constituencies in Odisha in the 2024 elections, will be propagating ‘Naveenism’ to retain its vote bank and gain more support, party sources said.

"The BJD fears that some miscreants may attempt to instigate violence ahead of elections to defame the ruling party and the state government. 'Naveenism' would help discipline the party’s rank and file," said a senior leader on the condition of anonymity.

BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty claimed that 'Naveenism' is not a new concept in Odisha.

"The BJD president's ideologies have been reflected in Odisha politics since he (Patnaik) joined politics and became the chief minister," Mohanty said.

However, the opposition BJP dubbed the BJD's new strategy as an "attempt to mislead people".

"Naveen Patnaik is said to be the number one chief minister, but his state Odisha remains at the bottom of the development ladder. What is there to talk about 'Naveenism'," said Leader of Opposition JN Mishra.