Political parties of Odisha and their role in national politics: A critical analysis
Author(s): Susmita Patnaik
Abstract: This paper examines the main political parties of Odisha — primarily the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Indian National Congress (INC) — and analyses how regional dynamics in Odisha influence, and are influenced by, national politics. The study uses secondary sources (electoral data, party histories, and news analysis) to trace shifts in party strengths from 2009-2024, explore the strategic choices of Odisha’s dominant regional party (BJD), and evaluate how Odisha has served as a site of coalition bargaining, electoral experimentation, and centre-state policy negotiation. Key findings of the papers are how the BJD has been the dominant regional force and has pursued an equidistance strategy with national parties; how the BJP has made substantial inroads into Odisha’s electoral map over the 2010s-2020s and how Odisha’s parties exert influence on national politics through parliamentary seats, regional issue framing, and occasional coalition arithmetic.
Susmita Patnaik. Political parties of Odisha and their role in national politics: A critical analysis. Int J Political Sci Governance 2025;7(12):94-101. DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i12b.777
