BJD lists ‘24 failures in 24 months’, targets BJP govt on 2nd anniversary

Marking two years of the BJP government in Odisha, the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the ruling dispensation, releasing a list of what it termed as the “Top 24 Failures” of the government during its first 24 months in office.

In a statement issued on the occasion, the BJD said that although it had secured a higher vote share than the BJP in the 2024 General Election, the saffron party eventually formed the government. The regional party alleged that the BJP government had failed to deliver on several fronts, including law and order, economic growth, employment, investment, agriculture, education and welfare.

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Referring to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s recent social media post highlighting the achievements of his government, the BJD said the reality on the ground painted a starkly different picture.

The opposition party claimed that Odisha had witnessed a sharp deterioration in the law-and-order situation, citing 48,798 cases of crimes against women reported in the last 18 months. It further alleged that the state ranked first in the country in sexual harassment in public places and violent crimes, while standing second in crimes against women, citing NCRB data.

On the economic front, the BJD alleged that Odisha’s growth momentum had slowed significantly under the BJP government. It claimed that the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth had declined from 9.6 per cent in 2023-24 to 7.2 per cent in 2024-25, while foreign direct investment inflows had fallen drastically, with Odisha attracting only ₹39 crore in FY 2024-25.

The party also accused the government of failing to retain major investment proposals, alleging that several high-profile projects, including those of JSW EV, ArcelorMittal Steel, Waaree Solar and Welspun, had moved out of the state. It further claimed that Odisha’s rankings in the Export Index and National Startup Index had slipped considerably during the BJP regime.

Highlighting concerns in the education sector, the BJD alleged that 23 examination-related failures and scams had surfaced over the past two years. It also pointed to environmental concerns, claiming that 185 elephant deaths had been recorded during the period.

The party further alleged a slowdown across key sectors, including agriculture, industry and services, and accused the government of increasing the state’s debt burden, widening the fiscal deficit and relying heavily on borrowings.

The BJD also criticised the government over inflation, budget utilisation and welfare measures, alleging reductions in health spending, discontinuation of the NUA-O scholarship scheme and the renaming of 28 welfare programmes.

As the BJP government completes two years in office, the BJD asserted that the administration had fallen short of public expectations and called for greater accountability on issues affecting governance, development and social welfare in the state.