The BJP high command’s decision to elevate Baijayant Panda to the twin prestigious posts of party’s national vice-president as well as national spokesperson just within a week of his embracing the saffron bandwagon has come as a big surprise to many.
The former BJD MP had joined the BJP on March 4.
Many reasons are being attributed in the political and analysts circles here for Panda's quick promotion.
And one among those reasons is the Dharmendra Pradhan factor.
The Union petroleum minister has long been projected as the BJP’s chief ministerial face in Odisha though the party has never acknowledged it officially.
Pradhan has been leading the party’s election campaign in the state.
However, since the industrialist-turned-politico’s entry into the saffron party, an impression was gaining ground within the state BJP as well as outside that the party high command may be having a second thought on Pradhan and Panda could replace him as the party’s chief ministerial candidate.
“Panda’s quick promotion could be an attempt by party high command to ensure that Pradhan continues his campaign across the state without any pressure. As party’s national spokesperson Panda may be asked to spend more time in Delhi than in Odisha”, a state BJP leader, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
Many analysts are also of the view that the BJP wanted to appease the four-time ex-BJD MP because of his “media power”.
Panda’s family owns an influential Odia TV news channel, OTV. With elections round the corner, the party’s state unit desperately wanted a media house on its side.
The BJP is not the first party in Odisha to handsomely reward a new entrant.
Rival BJD had also done the same last year— former Congress MP Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was handed over a Rajya Sabha berth the day he joined the regional outfit.
At that time it was widely believed that the BJD had roped in Soumya to counter Panda’s media machine. He (Soumya) runs a media empire which not only owns a leading TV news channel but a prominent daily newspaper too.
The BJD had been boycotting the Panda family owned OTV for almost a year now, accusing it of biased reporting against the party.