The death of Biju Patnaik, the supreme leader of Janta Dal in Orrisa, has virtually pushed the state unit party to the brink of disintegration. As his demise, like that of his mentor Nehru, props up the question, After Biju Who? not an inconsiderable section believe it will be deluge. The present disarray in the state unit of Janta Dal stems from two reasons. First, no second ranking leadership has been able to grow under the shadow of Patnaik, who was the last word in Dal politics for the last two decades. And second, intense intra-party squabbling has thrown up many aspirants for Bijus mantle, though none of them has the capability like the departed leader to keep others united under him.
The intra-party group rivalry had been simmering within the Dal unit since the early 90s when the party rode to power under the leadership of Patnaik with a thumping majority. It has intensified further, following the Dals loss of power in 1995 Assembly elections, and the subsequent decision of Patnaik to relinquish his position as opposition leader in the state Assembly and mover over to Delhi as a Lok Sabha member. His absence from state politics notwithstanding, Patnaik remained the only binding factor in the beleaguered state Dal. Unfortunately, Patnaik, who had reportedly been peeved by the growing dissension among party leaders, was about to launch a revamp operation in the state organisation when he fell ill last month.
The various pressure groups operating within the Dal are mainly divided on regional lines. While some leaders belonging to the coastal district still hold sway over party affairs in the state, a group of Dal MLAs, mostly belonging to western Orissa, have come out openly against their hegemony. This group even requested the Speaker to allot them a separate block of seats in the opposition bench during the recently concluded budget session of the House.
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What has encouraged the MLAs to challenge the hegemony of their counterparts from coastal Orissa is the lack of cohesion in the latter group. Senior Dal leader and former minister Bijoy Mohapatra, who has a sizable following in the party, is said to be not in cordial terms with state party president Ashok Das, though both belong to the coastal districts. Mohapatra was an aspirant to the post of Das but Biju decided the issue in favour of the latter.
The names that are doing the rounds as a possible successor to Bijus mantle include union parliamentary minister Srikant Jena and Union food processing minister Dillip Ray, alongwith Mahapatra and Das. But while Jenas recent open animosity towards Patnaik makes him unacceptable to a large section of the party workers, others lack the personality, stature and following to make a success of this onerous responsibility.
On another front, following the drubbing in 1995 Assembly elections, there was a growing demand from the rank and file of the state unit of the party to convert it into a regional outfit. Though Patnaik initially lent support to the idea, saying we should keep our options open, he later preferred to adopt a wait and watch policy.
The western Orissa MLAs want the proposed regional outfit to enter into an electoral understanding with Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), which has witnessed a recent spurt in its support base in that part of the state.
The coastal leaders want to revive poll ties with the Left parties, who have pockets of influence in their areas.
As long as Patnaik was alive Dal was not much concerned about the division of anti-Congress votes in the state, as he was the main rallying point for them for the last two decades.
Biju cremated with state honours
Our Correspondent BHUBANESWAR
The mortal remains of Biju Patnaik, the most adored leader of Orissa, was consigned to flames at Swargadwar on Puri sea beach the afternoon. The last rite was performed with full state honour. Over a lakh people thronged the cremation ground, building up an emotion-charged atmosphere.
As his body was brought to Swargadwar in a decorated vehicle and put on the funeral pyre specially erected on a raised platform, shouts of Biju Patnaik amar rahe ront the air. Many broke down and bade a tearful farewell to the beloved leader as Prem Patnaik, elder son of Biju, lit the pyre. The dignitaries who were present on the occasion included Prime Minster H D Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Bajpayee, BJP president L K Adwani, former Prime Minister Chandra Sekhar, Andhra Pradesh Governor Krishna Kant, planning commission chairman Madhu Dandvate, Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prassad Yadav and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Sekhawat.
Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, Eram Naidu and S R Bommai. Orissa Chief Minister J.B. Patnaik, his cabinet colleagues and state leaders of Janta Dal and BJP were else present.
Earlier in the morning, the body of Patnaik was flown here from Delhi by a special aircraft of Indian Air force. Orissa governor G.Ramanujan iand chief minister received the body at the airport. The body was brought in a procession to Patnaiks residence Navin Niwas where it was kept for few hours to facilitate the public pay their last respects. From them the mortal remains started its last journey to Swargadwar on a decorated vehicle after going round the important throughfares of capital city Bhubaneswar in a procession.