Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Instead of rising to the occasion, when election schedule has already reached the peoples, the Congress party has started playing tricks even though it has plunged itself into further chaos.
In revealing its electoral strategy, Orissa in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad asserted on March 3 that the party, set to win, would contest the election for both the Assembly and Loksabha sans any alliance with any in Orissa. It will deny party candidacy to two-time losers this time except in exceptional conditions and would not project anybody as its prospective chief minister. He, however, underlined that after the elections are over, a young member from amongst the winners would be made the CM, keeping in mind the preferences of Rahul Gandhi.
The message is most discouraging to the President of Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee K.P.Singhdeo, who after taking over the charges has kept himself busy in campaigning for the party. He is not young enough to fit into the frame that Azad has put forth on behalf of the so-called high command. So, after the elections, he shall have no chance to lead the Congress legislators, if per chance they return in majority.
Of course he has no choice. He has defined himself on records as a sainik (soldier) of Sonia Gandhi. And everybody knows he is “appointed” in this post by Sonia, the lady autocrat that has captured the Congress. So fate of KP would depend on the mercy of Sonia, not on democratic wisdom of Congress legislators of Orissa.
How the man who has no chance of leading the Congress legislators after elections would inspire general public to vote for the Congress?
On the other hand, the central emissary of Congress has pathetically failed to justify as to why the peoples should vote for the Congress.
He has stated that to defray the cost of subsidy on public distribution rice that State Government supplies at Rs.2 to people below the poverty line, Manmohan Singh government pays Rs.11 as against Navin’s Rs.3 for every sixteen rupees per Kg, involved.
But this attack on Nabin Patnaik’s government is most counterproductive. When Manmohan Singh is not paying the subsidy from his personal pocket, it confirms that the subsidy has been necessitated as the peoples have lost their ability to purchase the bare minimum life-saving food grains. And who but Manmohan Singh, father of the self-defeating and ruinous economic policy, is responsible for this?
To Oriyas who put Orissa above self, there can’t be anything better than defeat of Navin in elections. He has remained a cause of perennial embarrassment to the children of the soil. He has not been able to converse in Oriya despite being in power for a decade under the grace of the Oriya people. And, he has made Mother Orissa denuded of her natural resources in a fashion that suits the non-Oriyas most.
But as blisters effervesce when water boils, Navins emerge when plutocracy submerges the country. And in India, plutocracy has spread through Manmohan Singh, whom the Congress has declared to retain as Prime Minister if majority falls in its net.
Let them therefore stop vomiting allegations against Navin as Azad has done. They should, instead, tell peoples as to how they differ from Navin in the area of political economy so that the people may take a conscious decision.
It would be proper for peoples to keep watch on Congress tricks.