Niranjan Patnaik's appointment as the president has put an end to months of speculation.
But with the mining scam cloud hanging over his family, can the former minister battle the BJD? In an exclusive interview with Sandeep Mishra, the seasoned and resourceful Congress leader says he will go all out to expose corruption and inefficiency in the Naveen Patnaik government
Q: How do you find the response within the party and outside since becoming the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president?
A: The response is very good. Much more than what I had expected.
Q: What do you think are the problems and challenges before you?
A: An idle mind is devil's workshop. We were not doing our work properly, which led to certain problems within the party. Our rival, BJD, has taken advantage of the situation. I will activate the party at all levels and once everybody gets involved in work, the problems will vanish.
Q: What work are you talking about?
A: The UPA government has been giving huge funds to the state through various welfare schemes, but we failed to effectively carry the message to the people. BJD took advantage of this, claiming credit for all schemes. We also have not adequately exposed the inefficiency of the BJD government, how public money was being pilfered, how central funds were going unutilized. The Congress-led Union government has also not helped us in this regard. It too could have exposed the state government's ineptitude. Rather, the BJD, with a view to cover up its lapses, has launched an anti-Centre campaign. We have not been able to properly counter it.
Q: Is BJD's so-called inefficiency limited to implementation of central schemes?
A: Its inefficiency is reflected in all fronts, be it education, healthcare, electricity, SC and ST development. You can name any sector and failures are galore.
Q: You have realized this after 11 years of BJD rule? You were not vocal about all these till now?
A: The realization has been there. But the mindset was missing in the Congress to fight it out. Everybody is now in a mood to unravel the misdeeds of BJD.
Q: But your party has all along been dogged with factionalism. How do you think the Congress can take on the BJD?
A: Which party does not have differences? Ours is a big house, a party for the people. We are not like BJD, which is a private limited party. Lack of work bred factionalism. I will promote merit and involve everyone. We will go to the people, identify the disease that led people to reject us thrice in succession and then apply the right medicine. Lobbying and camping in Bhubaneswar and Delhishall be stopped. Those who will enjoy support of the people will be treated as leaders, not those who claim to be leaders without having any support. Congress will revive only if the party works hard. Time has come to build the next generation of leaders.
Q: Do you feel you should have become OPCC chief much before? People junior to you have already held the post.
A: May be I should have got the job earlier, but better late than never. I will certainly try my best to strengthen my party and bring to light corruption and inefficiency within the BJD government.
Q: What type of corruption do you refer to?
A: During the past 11 years, maximum number of vigilance cases has been registered. This means that the government admits rampant corruption is going on. A number of scams have already come to the fore.
Q: The mining scam is being touted as the mother of all scams. But how do you fight it when your close relatives are allegedly involved in it?
A: The BJD intentionally filed vigilance cases against my close relatives to harass me and stall my appointment as OPCC president. Vigilance is doing nothing against those who perpetrated the scam. It should find out who is behind the scam involving the Ram Bahadur Thakur mines. I can confidently say my relatives have done nothing illegal. If police find anything wrong in their activities, I welcome it. During BJD rule, mines are being given to outsiders. How many people of Orissa have got mining leases during the last 11 years? The BJD is doing this because local people cannot adequately benefit the party bosses. It is pursuing policies which are against the people of Orissa. I support nationalization of all mines. Let private mining be stopped.
Q: Even then do you think people will believe someone who has stakes in mining business and talks about mining scam?
A: Is it a sin that my relatives are in mining business? People from outside the state have been mining in my district, Keonjhar. My family is into mining since pre-Independence days. The first family of BJD, too, was into mining. Biju Patnaik owned mines in Badbil and relinquished it in 1961. For the past 40 years, they had not cleared the royalty for the said mines to the state government. They should look at themselves before pointing fingers at others.
Q: During the 2004 elections, BJD targeted your family's dominance in state Congress. It has also alleged corruption during J B Patnaik's chief ministership. Is being JB's relative working against you now?
A: Let them say whatever they want. They should mind their own business. I am in politics since my schooldays, much before I came to know JB Patnaik. All along my family was in Congress. I am in politics not because of someon's. As CM, JB surely made me a minister, but it was the people of Keonjhar who elected me.
Q: You have had a long career in politics. What do you think are your strengths?
A: My commitment and my love for my state, my people, my language. I have preserved these qualities and will do so all my life.
Q: Your weaknesses?
A: (Pause). I chew tobacco. Even if I have any other weakness, I will not tell you.
Q: Do you feel you have enough time to galvanise the Congress before the 2012 panchayat polls?
A: The panchayat and urban elections always go in favour of the ruling party. We cannot match BJD's money, muscle and government power. But I am confident we will do better than last time.
Q: But there is a perception that you were made OPCC chief because you can match everything that the BJD has?
A: How much money I have is mentioned in the nomination papers I filed during 2009 elections. We have not earned money by looting the state's exchequer and public resources like the BJD has.
Q: Months ahead of the 2004 and 2009 elections, the Congress replaced its state president. Do you think you will get to lead the party at the 2014 hustings?
A: It will depend on my work. Congress is a big, national party. If the high command feels I am incapable, it can change me. I am not thinking about it right now. My job is to reorganize the party and fight BJD.
But with the mining scam cloud hanging over his family, can the former minister battle the BJD? In an exclusive interview with Sandeep Mishra, the seasoned and resourceful Congress leader says he will go all out to expose corruption and inefficiency in the Naveen Patnaik government
Q: How do you find the response within the party and outside since becoming the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president?
A: The response is very good. Much more than what I had expected.
Q: What do you think are the problems and challenges before you?
A: An idle mind is devil's workshop. We were not doing our work properly, which led to certain problems within the party. Our rival, BJD, has taken advantage of the situation. I will activate the party at all levels and once everybody gets involved in work, the problems will vanish.
Q: What work are you talking about?
A: The UPA government has been giving huge funds to the state through various welfare schemes, but we failed to effectively carry the message to the people. BJD took advantage of this, claiming credit for all schemes. We also have not adequately exposed the inefficiency of the BJD government, how public money was being pilfered, how central funds were going unutilized. The Congress-led Union government has also not helped us in this regard. It too could have exposed the state government's ineptitude. Rather, the BJD, with a view to cover up its lapses, has launched an anti-Centre campaign. We have not been able to properly counter it.
Q: Is BJD's so-called inefficiency limited to implementation of central schemes?
A: Its inefficiency is reflected in all fronts, be it education, healthcare, electricity, SC and ST development. You can name any sector and failures are galore.
Q: You have realized this after 11 years of BJD rule? You were not vocal about all these till now?
A: The realization has been there. But the mindset was missing in the Congress to fight it out. Everybody is now in a mood to unravel the misdeeds of BJD.
Q: But your party has all along been dogged with factionalism. How do you think the Congress can take on the BJD?
A: Which party does not have differences? Ours is a big house, a party for the people. We are not like BJD, which is a private limited party. Lack of work bred factionalism. I will promote merit and involve everyone. We will go to the people, identify the disease that led people to reject us thrice in succession and then apply the right medicine. Lobbying and camping in Bhubaneswar and Delhishall be stopped. Those who will enjoy support of the people will be treated as leaders, not those who claim to be leaders without having any support. Congress will revive only if the party works hard. Time has come to build the next generation of leaders.
Q: Do you feel you should have become OPCC chief much before? People junior to you have already held the post.
A: May be I should have got the job earlier, but better late than never. I will certainly try my best to strengthen my party and bring to light corruption and inefficiency within the BJD government.
Q: What type of corruption do you refer to?
A: During the past 11 years, maximum number of vigilance cases has been registered. This means that the government admits rampant corruption is going on. A number of scams have already come to the fore.
Q: The mining scam is being touted as the mother of all scams. But how do you fight it when your close relatives are allegedly involved in it?
A: The BJD intentionally filed vigilance cases against my close relatives to harass me and stall my appointment as OPCC president. Vigilance is doing nothing against those who perpetrated the scam. It should find out who is behind the scam involving the Ram Bahadur Thakur mines. I can confidently say my relatives have done nothing illegal. If police find anything wrong in their activities, I welcome it. During BJD rule, mines are being given to outsiders. How many people of Orissa have got mining leases during the last 11 years? The BJD is doing this because local people cannot adequately benefit the party bosses. It is pursuing policies which are against the people of Orissa. I support nationalization of all mines. Let private mining be stopped.
Q: Even then do you think people will believe someone who has stakes in mining business and talks about mining scam?
A: Is it a sin that my relatives are in mining business? People from outside the state have been mining in my district, Keonjhar. My family is into mining since pre-Independence days. The first family of BJD, too, was into mining. Biju Patnaik owned mines in Badbil and relinquished it in 1961. For the past 40 years, they had not cleared the royalty for the said mines to the state government. They should look at themselves before pointing fingers at others.
Q: During the 2004 elections, BJD targeted your family's dominance in state Congress. It has also alleged corruption during J B Patnaik's chief ministership. Is being JB's relative working against you now?
A: Let them say whatever they want. They should mind their own business. I am in politics since my schooldays, much before I came to know JB Patnaik. All along my family was in Congress. I am in politics not because of someon's. As CM, JB surely made me a minister, but it was the people of Keonjhar who elected me.
Q: You have had a long career in politics. What do you think are your strengths?
A: My commitment and my love for my state, my people, my language. I have preserved these qualities and will do so all my life.
Q: Your weaknesses?
A: (Pause). I chew tobacco. Even if I have any other weakness, I will not tell you.
Q: Do you feel you have enough time to galvanise the Congress before the 2012 panchayat polls?
A: The panchayat and urban elections always go in favour of the ruling party. We cannot match BJD's money, muscle and government power. But I am confident we will do better than last time.
Q: But there is a perception that you were made OPCC chief because you can match everything that the BJD has?
A: How much money I have is mentioned in the nomination papers I filed during 2009 elections. We have not earned money by looting the state's exchequer and public resources like the BJD has.
Q: Months ahead of the 2004 and 2009 elections, the Congress replaced its state president. Do you think you will get to lead the party at the 2014 hustings?
A: It will depend on my work. Congress is a big, national party. If the high command feels I am incapable, it can change me. I am not thinking about it right now. My job is to reorganize the party and fight BJD.
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