Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on his predecessor, Naveen Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), accusing him of “misruling” the state during his 24-year tenure.
Speaking at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) membership drive in Bhubaneswar's Old Town area, Majhi claimed that the state had suffered under the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) regime and highlighted allegations of nepotism, corruption, and governance failures.
Majhi criticised the Patnaik administration for sidelining elected representatives such as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs), asserting that bureaucrats were given undue importance.
“The people of Odisha witnessed how power was concentrated among officers while lawmakers were ignored. Under Naveen Patnaik, democratic values were eroded, with officers sharing the stage at political rallies and overshadowing the elected representatives," Majhi remarked.
The Odisha CM took direct aim at the BJD's flagship 5T Initiative, a governance reform programme introduced by Patnaik. Majhi alleged that the programme was marred by corruption and irregularities, stating, “The 5T Initiative, rather than fostering transformation, became a vehicle for looting public funds. You have seen how, under the guise of development, only superficial changes like painting school walls were made, while corruption thrived.”
Majhi further claimed that the programme failed to bring about real improvement in governance, accusing the previous government of mismanagement in several schemes. He asserted that irregularities were rampant in the execution of many initiatives, but concrete action was never taken.
Majhi also questioned the former BJD government’s claims regarding its much-touted Mission Shakti programme, which provides financial assistance to women self-help groups (SHGs).
The CM said the BJD falsely claimed full credit for providing interest-free loans to SHGs, while a significant portion of the support came from the central government.
“The Centre contributes Rs 11 for every Rs 4 that the state adds in interest on loans to these groups. However, the Patnaik government portrayed itself as the sole benefactor,” he alleged.
The CM further accused the BJD of hijacking central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), which aims to provide affordable housing to the poor. He claimed that the BJD had tried to rebrand the scheme to mislead the public and secure electoral support.
“The BJD government tried to rebrand the PMAY as its own initiative in an attempt to gain votes, deceiving the people of Odisha,” he said.
Majhi pointed to the results of the last state elections as evidence of the people's dissatisfaction with the BJD regime. “The people of Odisha realised how they were being cheated and exploited under the Patnaik government, and they gave a fitting response by voting the BJD out of power," he declared.
Despite the strong accusations made by CM Majhi, the BJD was yet to issue an official response to the claims.
