In 2009 BJD broke alliance with BJP and went to poll on his own and formed the government. At that time the opposition was weak and Naveen Patnaik in his initial day had a better image than now. From time to time he has tactfully cut to size to his number of disparager from Pyarimohan Mohapatra to Jay Panda.
In the concluded Panchayat poll in 2017 BJP emerged as the opposition party in the state. Since then the enthusiastic BJP camp upped the ante claiming that Odisha mood for a change. But the result of Bijepur bypoll was a reality check for BJP. BJD was benefited with the decline of Congress. Major traditional vote of Congress went to BJD. Now there is no main opposition party in the state.
The internal in-fight of Congress has almost finished the party in the state. Many Congress leaders including standing MLAs are lining up to join BJD and BJP.
Since then the growth of BJP in Odisha, the triangular contest is now reduced to bi-party. Naveen Patnaik may be cautious that the growing opposition BJP is in power in the centre.
Saket Sreebhushan Sahu comments on politics and culture
