From Silence to Strength: How Mohan Majhi is Reshaping Odisha’s Political Narrative

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s tough approach to governance is transforming the political landscape in Odisha. Unlike the old Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, whom people gave credit to even when they didn’t see him doing much towards the end, Majhi is known for making bold moves but not bragging about them. His government is super strict on crime, even when it involves people from his own party (BJP). Such behaviour has quieted down those who didn’t support him and made it hard for other parties to get any attention.

Accountability’s Here

Since the BJP took charge in Odisha, Majhi has been all about action, which is different from how the opposition isn’t able to keep any issue going for long. Some political experts are saying that the opposition parties, especially the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), can’t seem to make any issue last for more than a couple of days. But Majhi’s government has been successful at stopping their stories from spreading. Whether it’s resolving problems people have or coming down hard on crime, the Chief Minister’s team are showing what they can do.

Two things that happened recently show that Majhi really wants to make sure the law is followed, even if it means upsetting people in his party. One big example is when Jagannath Pradhan, who’s a BJP leader, was quickly arrested and put in jail because he supposedly attacked Ratnakar Sahu, who works for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). The police caught him and six other party members involved in the incident in just 24 hours. Not only did the police shut down the opposition, but they also told everyone in the BJP that they’ll get in trouble if they break the law.

Additionally, a tragic incident occurred in which a female student took her own life at FM College in Balasore. Two student leaders from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is the BJP’s student group, were arrested on August 3, about 23 days after it happened. Even after the media stopped covering it, Jyotiprakash Biswal and Shubhrasambit Nayak went to jail. Majhi allowed these arrests to occur, despite having the ability to prevent them, which demonstrates that his government is committed to not tolerating any crime.

Sending a Message

Some people are saying that since the BJP took over, some party members and leaders have been trying to use their power too much, from local offices to police stations, which has led to claims of lawlessness. This was beginning to damage the government’s reputation, placing Majhi in a challenging position. However, the swift action he took in response to the BMC attack, despite internal party pressure, is considered a wise decision. The arrests not only calmed down the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) association but also showed that Majhi won’t protect party members who do wrong.

The arrest of the ABVP leaders in the Balasore case made Majhi’s position even clearer. Political watchers say that these actions against people connected to the party probably wouldn’t have happened without his okay. By putting justice first instead of loyalty to the party, Majhi has made it known that he won’t tolerate bad behaviour, no matter who’s involved.

Not into the Spotlight

Even though he’s making these strong moves, Majhi isn’t trying to take credit for what his government is doing. Unlike Patnaik, who stayed mostly in his house towards the end and made sure to credit successes while ignoring problems, Majhi is doing things differently. His government has handled issues like the drivers’ strike and employee protests well, fixing things quietly and without trouble. But the Chief Minister is letting his actions speak for themselves, which has people both impressed and confused.

Some people don’t think it’s beneficial that Majhi isn’t telling everyone about his government’s tough actions, like arresting BJP members. They think it might be because the party doesn’t want to talk about punishing people within it. But others see it as him being humble and focusing on running the government well instead of trying to look good. Majhi, according to a senior BJP leader, prioritises achieving results over mere rhetoric. He’s proving that you don’t need to brag to have good governance.

Different from Before

It’s very different from how Patnaik did things. During his last term, there were claims of corruption and crime involving BJD leaders, like the Naveen Das murder, the Mamita Meher case, the Mahanga double murder, the Ruchika suicide, and Sanjay Dasburma’s PSO killing. But these were often ignored. Even with a lot of proof, the Crime Branch didn’t do much, letting the problems get worse without anyone being held responsible. Patnaik’s government was good at avoiding criticism while taking credit for popular programmes.

Majhi, on the other hand, is taking a straightforward approach. His government’s first year has been about taking action, from correcting mistakes in the government to dealing with law and order. But the Chief Minister isn’t trying to get attention for these things, which has people in the political world wondering if his quiet style will change how politics is done in Odisha.

What’s Next?

As Odisha goes through this change under Majhi, people will be watching to see how he balances the needs of his party with running the government. His strict policies have already set a high standard, but it will be difficult to keep this up while also dealing with disagreements within the party. For now, Majhi’s focus on action has given the BJP a strong position, leaving the opposition struggling to find their place in the changing political scene.