Even as the State Congress factionalism is old and getting deeper by the day, the BJP State unit and the BJD too look cast in the same mould with their internal feuds slowly raising ugly heads.
However, while in the two national parties, no steps have been taken to calm down the disgruntled leaders, in the BJD, its supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has cracked the whip.
Recently, Patnaik called all the designated spokespersons of his party to be more prepared and careful while making comments on the party stands on various issues before the media. Patnaik did so after it was found that a few spokespersons were speaking off the cuff and often the statements were contradictory. There is also a band of spokespersons who are immature and their comments often prove detrimental to the party’s interest.
Patnaik instructed the spokespersons to maintain utmost caution and care since the Winter Session of the Assembly will begin from December 1 while the panchayat polls will be held in February.
Patnaik earlier had acted tough against Cuttack MP and BJD floor leader in the lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahtab after the latter went on giving explosive statements on a possible tie-up between the BJD and the Congress in the wake of a national coalition of parties against the BJD-led NDA. Though Patnaik rubbished the speculation of a compromise between the two parties shortly after Mahatab’s statements created flutter in the political circle, he dispatched a letter to the journalist-turned politician to show cause vis-a-vis his comments when the latter repeated the same by another round of media interaction.
It is not that Mahtab was first to make such comments which had no sanction of the party chief. Earlier, Excise Minister Dr Damodar Rout has ceaselessly talked on many issues often at the cost of the party. Rout, who is not in good terms with the a few of his party colleagues, including Jagatsinghpur BJD president and Rajya Sabha member Bishnu Das, Cuttack-Barabati MlA Debasish Samantaray, etc., also go rudderless while talking against them. The feud-ridden Jagatsinghpur BJD unit has been a wakeup call to the party chief. But Patnaik has chosen to remain silent against Rout as Rout is taken rather in a lighter vein by the people of the State. Mahtab on the contrary has a different profile and hence, his comments are likely to cause grievous damage to the party image. So, Patnaik acted promptly in the Mahtab case. Here, also he gave a clear message that he has zero tolerance for indiscipline and irresponsibility in the party.
The Congress and the BJP, however, look to be different as far as indiscipline and rift is concerned. Indiscipline is virtually a rule than an exception in the State Congress with the central leadership failing to rein in a section of egocentric senior leaders. Even groupism has affected the party at the grassroots level.
The State BJP too has not been able to rise above this dissent factor as some senior leaders like Dilip Ray and Bijay Mohapatra are not comfortable in the party with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan calling the shots in the State party. In the BJP’s case also, the central leadership has not taken the factor seriously.