With the high-voltage, bitterly fought Bijepur by-election over, the focus now shifts to the Rajya Sabha elections on March 23 in which three seats from Odisha would be up for grabs. Given the composition of the state Assembly, it is a foregone conclusion that all three who would replace Messrs AU Singhdeo, Dillip Tirkey and AV Swamy would be from the BJD or, at the very least, independent candidates supported by the party (like AV Swamy the last time round).
As always, journalists and political commentators would have a field day for the next couple of weeks speculating about the possible candidates Naveen Patnaik would pick to fill up the three vacancies. In fact, the mandatory crystal grazing has already started with the name of Ama Odisha Party (AOP) chief and ‘Sambad’ Editor Soumya Ranjan Patnaik being widely discussed as one of the candidates likely to be nominated by the BJD supremo. Mr. Patnaik himself has provided fuel to such speculation by refusing to deny such a possibility outright.
Talk about Mr. Patnaik angling for a Rajya Sabha nomination started in May last year after he met Naveen for an hour-long meeting with the Chief Minister at Naveen Nivas. Though he parried questions about a possible new equation with the BJD saying there was no such plan ‘for the time being’, he dropped enough hints that speculation about a mending of fences was not mere kite flying. While the ‘for the time being’ bit itself was a bit of a giveaway, what lent further credence to the speculation was what else he said after the meeting. Claiming that he had met the Chief Minister to discuss issues of farmers, language, prohibition and chit fund, the former Bhubaneswar MP said it was time to rise above parties and personalities and do politics on issues. “There is no issue that cannot be resolved through dialogue,” he said in what was seen as a sign of warming up to the BJD.
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In the time since then, there have been enough indications that something is indeed cooking between the two erstwhile adversaries. Visuals of Mr. Patnaik engaged in intimate talks with Mr. VK Pandian, the Chief Minister’s trusted private secretary, at the function in New Delhi where the decision on the Odisha government’s five-year deal with Hockey India for sponsorship of the Indian hockey team was announced provided grist to the rumour mills. The two Patnaiks are also believed to have met one-on-one the same day, something that neither side has denied outright. Shortly after this, the ‘Sambad’ Editor, while Talking to OTV recently, dropped enough hints that he was not averse to joining hands with Naveen Patnaik.
But the biggest pointer, observers say, came by way of a subtle but discernible change in the editorial line of the No. 1 Odia daily that Mr. Patnaik owns. Long known as a bitter critic of the Naveen Patnaik dispensation, ‘Sambad’ of late has been unusually soft on the Chief Minister, his government and party. Though no one can accuse it of being a spokesperson of the ruling party, long time readers of the newspaper have not failed to spot the distinct shift reflected in its editorial comments, headlines and political stories. The most talked about pointer to this realignment came when ‘Sambad’ devoted 4-5 pages singing paeans to the Chief Minister and his late father on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the BJD in December last year. Eyebrows were also raised when it screamed ‘Rajadhanire Aatankaraaj’ (“Terror in Capital”) on the day Mr. Pandian’s house was attacked by BJP goons giving a rather exaggerated picture of what was essentially a minor attack by hoodlums.
The ‘Sambad’ boss has never hidden his political ambitions. After being expelled by the Congress, the ex MP formed AOP and fielded candidates, including himself, in the 2014 elections. While he himself lost by a slender margin of less than 600 votes in the Khandapada Assembly constituency, the performance of all others was disastrous. That must have convinced him that he had to join one of the three major parties to get out of political wilderness and regain political relevance. Having been unceremoniously thrown out by the party, going back to the Congress was hardly an option, more so because of the sorry state of the party both in the state and at the national level after 2014. That left him with choosing between the BJD and the BJP. Since he had been in the BJP in the past and was never quite given the position he thought he deserved in the party, casting his lot with the BJD, still the No. 1 party in the state by a distance, made eminent political sense.
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However, it is possible that his status as a media baron controlling a large, diversified media conglomerate played a role in th emerging equation with the BJD. With Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda all but banished from the BJD and OTV, the No. I channel owned by his family, taking a stridently anti-Naveen and anti-BJD line of late, roping in another major media house was a political compulsion of sorts for Naveen Patnaik. Though the BJD has invested in some other media outlets, including some TV channels, too, all of them together cannot hold a candle to Eastern Media Limited (EML), which also has a major TV channel under its fold. With the No. 1 composite media house in the state on his side, Naveen Patnaik would feel much more confident in the run up to the next elections.
There is, however, a possibility that SRP could be fielded as an ‘independent’ candidate backed by the BJD – like AV Swamy was the last time round - without formally joining the party. That would suit both sides just fine. While Naveen would win kudos for nominating an eminent editor-intellectual to the Rajya Sabha, SRP can continue with the pretence of ‘issue-based’ politics till the time is ripe for formally joining the party.
No matter what exactly are the contours of the realignment, there is little doubt that the coming over of Soumya Ranjan Patnaik to his side would immensely strengthen the hands of Naveen Patnaik as he braces for the next electoral battle, which could well be the toughest he has fought so far.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV's charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)