Pushed to the brink in Odisha, Congress looks to target ‘BJD-BJP bonhomie’ for resurgence

The Odisha Congress on Thursday organised a mock marriage between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), intending to convey the message that the two erstwhile alliance partners are still in a tactical understanding despite parting ways years ago.

The Odisha Congress on Thursday organised a mock marriage between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), intending to convey the message that the two erstwhile alliance partners are still in a tactical understanding despite parting ways years ago.

Both the BJD and the BJP had ended their decade-old tie-up in 2009, leaving the ruling space to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has never lost an election since 2000.

The mock marriage ceremony was organised at the Congress office in Master Canteen Square, located on the route to the State Assembly, one of Bhubaneswar’s busiest junctions.

The event got widespread publicity on mainstream and social media as intended by the Congress, with its leaders dancing to the tunes of marriage songs.

It was attended by senior party leaders, including State Congress chief Sarat Pattnayak and AICC in-charge for Odisha, Ajoy Kumar. A marriage altar was erected, with two persons wearing masks depicting the images of a conch and a lotus, the party symbols of the BJD and BJP, respectively.

Political analysts opine that the event is a part of a carefully designed strategy by the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls this year.

The party is looking to regain its lost ground in the State, where it has not been able to hit the 20-seat mark in the 147-member Assembly for years now.