BJD targets Odisha government, cites 24 failures after two years in office

The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday mounted a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Odisha, alleging a series of governance and economic failures as the state government completed two years in office.

Addressing the media, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty presented a list of 24 issues that he claimed reflected the shortcomings of the BJP administration since it assumed power in the state.

The criticism came on the second anniversary of the BJP government, with Mohanty responding to claims made by the state government regarding its achievements over the past two years.

He asserted that while the BJP formed the government following the 2024 elections, the BJD had secured a higher vote share in the state. According to Mohanty, the government's performance had fallen short of public expectations across several key sectors.

A major focus of the opposition's criticism was the law-and-order situation. Mohanty alleged that nearly 48,800 cases involving crimes against women had been reported during the first 18 months of the BJP government's tenure.

Citing official crime data, he claimed that Odisha ranked among the leading states in incidents of sexual harassment in public places and stood near the top nationally in crimes against women and violent offences.

The BJD spokesperson also highlighted an increase in registered crimes, alleging that the state recorded more than 229,000 cognisable offences in 2025, compared with around 214,000 cases in the previous year.

On the economic front, Mohanty argued that Odisha's growth momentum had weakened over the past two years. He claimed that the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth rate had moderated from 9.6 per cent in 2023-24 to lower levels in the subsequent two financial years.

He further alleged that Odisha attracted only Rs 39 crore in foreign direct investment during FY2024-25, accounting for a negligible share of the country's overall FDI inflows.

The opposition leader also accused the government of underperforming in areas such as industrial development, entrepreneurship and exports. He pointed to Odisha's rankings in various national indices, alleged migration of major investment projects to other states and concerns regarding examination management and administrative efficiency.

Mohanty additionally raised issues relating to fiscal management, claiming that budgetary allocations had not been fully utilised and that both fiscal and primary deficits had increased during the BJP government's tenure.

The BJD also criticised the administration over inflationary pressures and alleged a decline in welfare delivery, arguing that the government had failed to meet the aspirations of people despite completing two years in office.

The BJP government has been highlighting its achievements and policy initiatives since assuming power in June 2024. However, the opposition's latest attack signals that governance, economic performance and public welfare are likely to remain key political battlegrounds in Odisha in the coming months.

With IANS inputs