Baijayant Panda’s resignation springs no surprise as it reaffirms a core principle of BJD boss Naveen Patnaik and his style of functioning, that is, “defiance carries a price”.
Since the regional party was formed after the death of former premier Biju Patnaik, many of those who took a pioneering role, are no longer in the party, not because they crossed over to other parties for vested interest, but due to being inconsistent with the BJD president.
Whenever, Patnaik sensed trouble from any leader, he very cunningly dealt with him and clipped his wings finally.
No doubt, a few after being expelled staged a comeback, but they are the ones who never posed a challenge to the authority of the party supremo. And once back in the party, these leaders behave as if they have eaten the humble pie and tend to be meek and docile.
A few of the expelled leaders made a desperate attempt to bounce back, but in vain. The pain for these leaders is the hell- and- heaven difference in their stature when they are in the party and when not.
Once dropped, most of them passed into wilderness and lost their sheen. Strangely, even the public forgot them for all time to come.
Panda made no attempt at rapprochement or rather failed at this ever since he fell from grace of Patnaik after the panchayat election, and what did happen was a fait accompli. Worse still, the expelled BJD MP harped on the indiscipline in BJD by obliquely targeting the boss and that too, via social media and mainstream media, instead of settling his grievances directly with Patnaik. The allegation of his growing proximity with the BJP served the last nail.
Panda was expelled from the BJD on ground of anti-party activity, a charge which also led to the exit of many others earlier. But while in case of Panda, a probe was made, in many others, the expulsion was executed solely at the discretion of the BJD chief.
But what was noteworthy is the vengeance Panda had to face over last one and a half years ever since allegation surfaced against him over involvement in anti-party activities. As if the attack on him by goons at Mahanga was not enough, his channel OTV was banned by the BJD and later, Panda’s Therubali plant witnessed workers’ unrest and vandalism. Social media was used extensively to show how Panda was ungrateful to the BJD boss and treacherous to the party.
The biggest humiliation for Panda was when neither the CM nor any other from the BJD turned up at the funeral of Panda’s father and noted entrepreneur and Biju loyalist Banshidhar Panda recently. The message was loud and clear. It was to isolate him completely even at time of a family tragedy and hurt and humiliate him publicly. This was perhaps an example of worst personal vendetta in the BJD which prompted Panda to put in his papers.
Pyarimohan Mahapatra had an unceremonious ouster from the BJD on the charge of staging a coup. Though Mohapatra formed a party and tried to create an anti-Patnaik organisation, he failed and could not absolve him of the coup slur till death. Dilip Ray and Bijay Mohapatra who are now in the BJP too have not been able to throw a challenge to Patnaik and, rather, are ill at ease in the BJP.
Similarly, speculations are rife that Panda might join the BJP as his next course of action. However, time will say how far he comes out successful.
