Narendra Modi and Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 3: The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal’s decision to support the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha comes as fresh proof of Odisha’s ruling party moving close to the National Democratic Alliance.

The bill is Narendra Modi government's first major reforms initiative to raise FDI cap in the insurance sector sector. It will also be its first real test of strength in the Upper House of Parliamentary, where the BJP has just 42 members and cannot hope to make the magic mark of 123 even with its allies Shiv Sena, Shirmomani Akali Dal and the Telugu Desam Party.

Though the BJD has just seven members in the Rajya Sabha, it still matters because in a crunch situation each vote would count for the BJP-led NDA government. Sources said that Modi was fervently wooing regional chieftains such as Naveen Patnaik and AIADMK chief J. Jaylalithaa to tide over a possible crisis in the Upper House where the bill would come up for discussion on Monday.

The BJD, though, still remains shy of admitting its growing closeness to the Modi government. Party’s leader in the Lok Sabha and Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab sought to create the impression that the BJD was supporting the issue and not the government.

He said the bill was not only important but had also lent clarity because of the amendments moved.

This is not the first instance of the BJD supporting the Modi government. The party had also backed the government during the election of Sumitra Mahajan as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Significantly, soon after NDA came to power, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, along with all his party MPs, had called on Modi in Delhi and discussed state’s outstanding issues with him.

The meeting was seen as the first sign of Naveen softening his approach towards Modi though publicly he continues to maintain a policy of equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress.