Naveen Patnaik's poll trail soft on UPA's scams

For a horde of nearly 10,000 people here who have battled an unkind sun with depleting patience, an envelope of dust kicked up by chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s landing chopper is no pleasant succour.

 

The dust settles and finally, the crowd, up on its feet, gets a glimpse of its favourite leader. Naveen ascends the dais and waves to a rapturous cheer from the rabble.

 

In what is now customary in all his campaigns, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo reads out from a prepared note, in broken Odia, to connect with his people.

 

For Patnaik, Kendrapara is not just another constituency. Long before he was initiated into politics, Kendrapara was the home turf of his legendary father and former chief minister Biju Patnaik, who got elected to the Lok Sabha from the seat thrice, in 1977, 1980 and 1984. Historically, the seat has steered free from Congress influence and remained a Janata Dal pocket borough till 1998 when voters shifted loyalty to Naveen’s BJD. Since then, Kendrapara is in the BJD’s grip with the incumbent Baijayant Panda, a close aide of his party supremo, seeking re-election for a second term.

 

Patnaik speaks in an emotional undertone, seeking to rekindle the people’s bond with the late Biju Patnaik.

 

“Kendrapara was Biju babu’s karma bhoomi. You still remember him. You are well aware of Biju babu’s relationship with Kendrapara….. The relationship has only strengthened with the BJD”, he says.

 

The Parliamentary seat apart, the BJD with five legislators in Kendrapara district, would like to retain its tally. The mood is with the ruling party, especially with the sitting MP Baijayant Panda.

 

“People’s support is with him (Baijayant Panda). His performance over the years and efforts taken to connect with the people in interior villages are laudable”, says Shyam Sundar Panda, a cement trader of Chanpur village where the BJD chief kicked off his campaign in Kendrapara district.

 

“There may be doubts on the Kendrapara MP’s performance. But he has never ignored people at the grass root level. There is a feeling that the initiative for any major development in the region begins with him. Also, fielding of weak candidates by the Opposition parties will boost Panda’s success”, said Prakash Kumar Dalai of Tilottamadeipur village.

 

Says the beaming MP, “Biju babu’s dreams are being fulfilled. Work has started on the second expressway between Cuttack and Chandbali. Construction has also begun on a railway line in Kendrapara.”

 

But Patnaik's campaign agenda is not restricted to Biju Patnaik’s charisma. He touches on the deft handling of the Phailin cyclone that won his government international acclaim.

 

He lists the Rs 1 per kg rice scheme for six million BPL (below poverty line) families and health insurance for as many farmer families as his government’s ‘big achievements’.

 

Naveen then dangles his party manifesto’s promises- minimum infrastructure guarantee for all villages, efforts to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones, loans at 1% interest rate to farmers and irrigation facility for an additional 10,000 hectares of land.

 

The BJD chief winds up after having spoken for barely five minutes. His cavalcade chugs on with people getting into a huddle outside the barricade. But the reclusive leader sits pretty, occasionally waving his hand without alighting from his vehicle.

 

At Chanpur where the BJD strongman started off, there was 15,000 strong gathering. This is his second day of campaign for the coastal region going to the polls on April 17. In addition to Kendrapara, Patnaik addressed rallies at Paradip, Tirtol, Balikuda-Erasama, Salepur, Niali and Ekamra on the same day.

 

It has been a busy campaign season for a leader who doesn’t face any serious challenger from within or outside his party. Patnaik’s poll campaign took off on March 26 from his home turf Hinjili, and since then, he has addressed over 100 rallies, holding an average of 7-8 public meetings every day.

 

After a hectic poll trail, the BJD supremo looks jaded. His party is eyeing to conquer Odisha again and issues in his campaign are centred on his government’s schemes for the poor and deprived, the targeted vote bank.

 

But Patnaik who can well emerge as a key player for the political sweepstakes at the Centre, has been muted on the UPA government’s scams in his campaign trail. He did talk on the UPA government being embroiled in scams at his Mahakalpada rally, but it was only a passing mention.

 

Throughout his campaigning, Patnaik's Centre bashing has been restricted to price rise, apathy of UPA leaders during Phailin storm, denial of special category status for Odisha or neglect towards the backward KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region.

 

His adversaries in the Congress and BJP, though, have revisited the mining scam and defalcation of funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Odisha.

 

As a star campaigner, the chief minister’s strength has been in pulling the crowd. However, his poor understanding of the people’s language is still a handicap.

 

“The chief minister is not connecting with the people, and is thus unable to understand their real problems”, says Shyam Sundar Panda of Chanpur village.