Will a No-Confidence Motion Shake Odisha's BJP Government? Insights from Suresh Pujari
Political Tensions Rise in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: On Thursday, Suresh Pujari, the Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management in Odisha, rejected speculation regarding a potential no-confidence motion against the ruling BJP government, asserting that such a move would backfire on the Opposition while leaving the BJP unharmed.
Pujari's comments came shortly after Bhakta Charan Das, the head of the state Congress, urged the BJD, the main opposition party, to initiate a no-confidence motion against the BJP government due to rising crimes against women.
He challenged the BJD to act in the forthcoming Assembly session if they are genuinely committed to advocating for women's rights.
Das also expressed Congress's willingness to support the BJD in this endeavor, stating, "If the BJD fails to act, Congress is prepared to step in, provided we have the regional party's backing."
In response, Pujari, who previously served as the BJP's state president, stated, "We are prepared to confront any no-confidence motion proposed by the Opposition. However, they must also be ready to hear our side. They have governed the state for many years, during which numerous serious crimes against women occurred. They need to account for their actions over the past 70 years. We have only been in power for one year."
The minister confidently claimed that the BJP would remain "unscathed" while the Opposition would suffer significant damage.
Bhupinder Singh, a senior BJD leader and former opposition leader, expressed hope that a no-confidence motion would be introduced in the upcoming Assembly session.
"Ultimately, the decision will rest with BJD president Naveen Patnaik," he noted, adding that such a motion would exert considerable pressure on the BJP government.
Debi Prasad Mishra, a senior vice-president of the BJD, also mentioned that Patnaik would make the final decision regarding the proposed no-confidence motion.
"The government has yet to announce the dates for the upcoming monsoon session," Mishra added.
Political analysts suggest that even if a no-confidence motion is presented in the Assembly, it may be largely symbolic, given that the ruling BJP holds a comfortable majority with 81 MLAs (78 from BJP and 3 Independents) compared to the Opposition's total of 66 (51 from BJD, 14 from Congress, and 1 from CPI(M)). The Odisha Assembly consists of 147 members.