The BJD, which had a long recourse in Centre bashing all through its last two tenures, has had a softening of stance after the BJP-led NDA replaced the UPA Government in Delhi. But of late, the BJD seems to be renewing the rhetoric.
When the Opposition members from the Congress and the BJP were creating pandemonium in the Winter Session of the Assembly, demanding a discussion on the chit fund scam, as a tit-for-tat, the ruling party MlAs tried to push the rivals to the edge over a din on Central neglect. The ploy may be to shout down the Opposition, but more than that it appears to be an indication of the BJD’s disenchantment with the Modi Government.
Initially, when Chief Minister took all his MPs with him to meet Prime Minister Narender Modi in New Delhi after the general elections, he concurred on supporting the NDA Government though the latter did not require it which enjoys a brute majority in the lower House. But Patnaik’s first meeting with Prime Minster Modi backed by a team of MPs was a sign of extending an olive branch.
During the UPA time, Patnaik almost blackmailed with the Centre as the Manmohan Singh Government was eyeing the BJD support as a standby incase its selfish and unsteady allies pulled out. Patnaik kept dangling carrot before the Congress Government at the Centre and created enough elbow space to deal with State Congress leaders. Deft handling of the Centre’s weakness had given many advantages to the BJD. It had managed to rob the State Congress leaders of their sting who often raised much hue and cry over chit fund, mining and other scams. More pertinently, Patnaik managed to stall a move for CBI probe into several scams in the State with the tacit approval of the Central Government even as the State Congress leaders went hammer and tongs against the BJD Government. The BJD also managed to paint the State Congress with an anti-Odisha brush, be it inadequate financial assistance, mining royalty revision, Polavaram, railway neglect or calamity aid etc.
But when the Modi Government took over with absolute majority, the BJD knowingly dropped its usual strategy with the Centre and had decided to support the Central Government while not compromising with the interest of the State. The specter of CBI probe was haunting the BJD boss all the time and therefore Patnaik was eager to buy peace. But despite his sign of friendship when the CBI probe was allowed to move at full throttle, causing much embarrassment to the ruling dispensation in the State, it came as a great worry for the BJD. Many a time, the BJD spokespersons have described the CBI as docile to the Central Government and the ongoing arrests and seizures by the probe agency as a manifestation of the vindictiveness of the Centre. Patnaik met Modi on several pretexts with a reconciliatory gesture but in vain.
Veritably, after the Hudhud hit the State and its neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the Central assistance was more to AP than Odisha. The State did not get its expected quantum of financial help. The Modi Government is also eager to carry forward the Polavaram dam project in spite of the Patnaik Government’s resistances.
The union of the socialist parties especially Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JD-U), lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National lok Dal (INlD) and HD Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) along with several smaller entities has now brought a ray of hope of halting the march of a strong BJP Government in the Centre. The forum of all anti-BJP forces who claim them to be members of the old Janata Dal which was formed in 1977 during the post emergency period has its door open to the BJD. But Patnaik is yet to decide whether to go with its old forum NDA or shake hands with the new party of the Janata family.
like lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nitish Kumar — all leading political figures of the national politics who want to get a respite from Modi hegemony and create an opposition bloc in the Parliament, Patnaik so far has not felt such an urgency. lalu and Nitish Kumar, two former Chief Ministers of Bihar, have buried their hatchets as they are reeling under an existential crisis ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls nearing fast. BJP and its ally lJP have taken a majority of Parliamentary seats during the last poll (28 out of 40) in Bihar. Somehow, they want to keep their home turf intact and may be for that matter, they have given a call for a greater Janata Parivar. Patnaik’s position is different. He is quite strong in his home State and has even managed to pale Modi impact during the last simultaneous polls. What Patnaik now worries about is not his present but his future. If the Centre continues to pooh-pooh its conciliatory gesture, the BJD may welcome to be a member of the new Janata Parivar and intensify its usual anti-Centre campaign.