Congress dismisses a leader whose only concern was strengthening of the Congress in Orissa!

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Orissa’s Soumya Ranjan Patnaik has been dismissed from the Congress Party, as his endeavors to strengthen the Congress in the State were viewed as stark indiscipline.

Earlier as disciplinary actions were initiated against him, we had predicted how this would be detrimental to the organization. The just concluded urban election has proved the accuracy of our prediction, as in the action initiated against SRP, people of Orissa again noted that the Congress high command stands not with the Congress in the State, but with the agents of POSCO – the BJD – at the time of elections. Had it not been so, the Congress could have achieved tremendous success in Orissa ULB elections.

Despite a noted offender like Jagdish Tytler imposed on Orissa Pradesh Congress by its national boss, Orissa had witnessed how the party was woken up from its slumber in the State by Sri Niranjan Patnaik after his appointment as president of the provincial committee. The unprecedented display of public support to Congress was marked in the mammoth rally at Bhubaneswar on September 06, 2012. And, as we had marked, the Congress was getting back its acceptability day by day under Niranjan Patnaik.

But all on a sudden, he was replaced with Jaydev Jena, whom the Congress had, at the verge of the last general election, replaced with the son of the tyrant king of Dhenkanal whose tyranny was exterminated by the organized body of the tortured people – Praja Mandal – that forced him to abdicate his kingship and merge his State with the new independent country.

As there was no logic behind replacement of Jaydev Jena by K.P.Singhdeo at that time, there is no logic behind replacement of Niranjan Patnaik with Jaydev Jena this time.

But all these times, the discernible design of the Congress high command has remained same. Come elections, Congress high command injects confusion into psyche of Orissa voters about the stability and acceptability of whosoever leads the Congress in the State, so that the agent of POSCO retains power in Orissa.

This time, lest the people get glimpses of this secret design, Jairam Ramesh – somewhat considered pro-environment by the people here, hence far from POSCO and the likes – was shrewdly used to convey that the Congress is right in initiating disciplinary actions against SRP.

And, finally, the design has succeeded in dismissal of SRP.

Had the Congress motive not been vitiated with the design to help Naveen by deliberate weakening of the Congress in Orissa, the entire leadership of the Congress party should have stood with SRP and adopted the method he was using to strengthen the Congress. But that was never to be and that has not been. Fate of Congress in next election is doomed. Its electoral prospects would never be salvaged by any leader it has planted in the State. It may pin its hope only on an yet to evolve environment when the masses like the asses will rise up against the ruling commission agents of Orissa chapter, if at all that happens.

Should the prodigal son return home?

As far as SRP is concerned, as a man who knows him and wants his potentiality used for betterment of Orissa, I would like to suggest that he should go back to BJP. Under the wave Modi has already created, BJP should have become an achiever in the just concluded ULB election, as fellows of class character akin to BJP constitute the commanding layer in urban areas. But, it is in such sophomoric hands in Orissa that it has suspended Murli Manohar Sharma, the man totally dedicated to BJP, who could manage to help BJP take over Barbil ULB with mere two members in the Council. In fact, with the present set of leadership, BJP has no prospect in Orissa. So, if the wave being created by Modi is to be taken advantage of in Orissa, BJP must need a new leader with tremendous mass contact in the State. And, under such circumstances, if BJP approaches SRP, he being never averse to political economy of capitalism that BJP stands for, there should be no hesitation on his part to accept the BJP offer. Thereby, the prodigal son may return home and the POSCO agent in power in Orissa may be shown the door.

Need of Orissa

If this does not happen, SRP should consult his colleagues and friends to transform AMA ODISHA to a provincial political party. To safeguard Orissa’s regional interest, BJD having gone to the pockets of POSCO and the likes, Orissa essentially needs a strong political sentinel of her own. And, AMA ODISHA can be that political sentinel, with no specific political economy, but with the single aim to do everything that suits Orissa.