The BJP-BJD fight is gaining intensity fiercely as both the parties believe the Bijepur outcome would indicate the trend for 2019 general elections. Focussing so much attention on a single Assembly constituency does not look appropriate as there are so many contentious issues plaguing the State at any point in given time. The BJP, the big national party, is desperate to prove supremacy and popularity by capturing Bijepur, no matter at what cost.
However, fresh studies show that the BJP is losing out merely on ‘lack of decency' grounds. They had organised egg pelting at Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister with an innocent lady doing the mean job. Then, some saffron super-brains organised a storm-in job at the CMO's Private Secretary's house because the bureaucrat is a proven performer and a noble guide to the boss. The gang that broke into his house, in his absence, like daylight robbers vandalised the premises, tossed cow dung all around and hurled vulgar words at the disciplined and well-behaved residence staffs to feel great. The whole operation was wdely condemned by even schoolchildren for being so dastardly. But the BJP, much in a mad hurry to grab power in Odisha, is resorting to strange and laughable antics because the BJD bastion is conclusively impregnable. Only a day ago, a youth chose to throw footwear at Naveen while he was addressing an election rally in Bijepur. Not much hurt happened to Naveen nor any damage caused to the BJD. The saffron community, for sure, has lost respect among the Odisha masses. Not surprisingly, the principled BJP founders have expressed anxiety over the acts of the ruling gang because of their indecent and cheap strategies used to make gains. These respectable and adored BJP stalwarts are now kept behind the curtains by the violence-loving strategists on purpose lest they should prevent them from doing terrible things of which they are so fond. The Amit Shah-Modi team wants to enjoy unbridled power to commit any act of indecency and get away. They keep safe only because of state power and their unlawful control over the Central probe agencies.
Interestingly, an increasing number of movie personalities have begun campaigning for political parties. Odisha hardly has movie guys and girls with any star value. Star actors are those whose names and images sell magically. On record, true Bollywood stars like Rekha, Govinda and many more, as law makers, have only wasted public money without contributing in the least to nation building of any kind. Even the erroneously Bharat Ratna-awarded cricket icon has proven to be a horrible disaster as a Rajya Sabha member. lately, the Odisha BJP has roped in a few, glamour-gone, spent movie characters, to campaign for them. Yesteryear artist Mahasweta, when lost in oblivion, was incidentally brought back to limelight by the BJD during the last general elections. She was granted the golden opportunity of doing some ‘parrot talk' for the party to garner public support. That act indeed was a futile one then for she had no fan following whatsoever. On the contrary, Naveen, the real star, restored some recognition in her. Her mentor Prashant Nanda may be having a hearty laugh as she has now come to the BJP fold. Aparajita, yet another long-time actress due to the absence of competition, had fought on a Congress ticket to lose heavily. She could not even prove to be a meteor, let alone a star, so negligibly awful was her vote-pulling power! The BJP planners have also netted one character actor Mihir Das, a difficult-to-recognise Pinky Pradhan and the smalltime, small-height Harihara to woo voters in their favour. All of them keep screaming hoarse that Modi has maddened them with his charismatic qualities of nation building!
Incidentally, the BJP has not been able so far to put up a credible face in Odisha. Dharmendra Pradhan, it is rumoured, is only a front, not a true one. The higher-ups have even kept him under full surveillance so that he doesn’t brush shoulders with the likes of Mukesh Ambani. At the most, Pradhan is allowed to meet some senior functionaries of the big corporates, never the promoters. It is further rumored that Dharmendra has been given a long rope only to prove he is a credibly likeable political entity in Odisha. If he proves to be one, they might invest on him to make him Chief Minister, only if the party manages to get the required bulk.
Truthfully, if Pradhan can pull a single job like S Jaipal Reddy had done to the errant Reliance company on the Cauvery-Godavari basin contract violation issue, the people of Odisha may consider imploring Naveen Patnaik to step down just once to give one opportunity to the Oil Minister to lead Odisha to light. Reddy, as Oil Minister, had slapped fines of multi-thousand lakh rupees on the Ambani empire. Ambani's top executives, who were being given red carpet welcome and treatment at the Oil Ministry before Reddy appeared there, were not even granted a one-minute appointment after waiting for weeks on end. The Ambani stooges, including top bureaucrats, were identified and tossed out like garbage elements to distant and nondescript postings outside the fold. If Pradhan is a real ‘pradhan' meaning a chieftain, he should have slapped appropriate penalties on all errant corporates working for the Ministry to save public money or have it restored if lost already.
Around this time in Odisha, veteran political figures including Dilip Ray and Bijay Mohapatra, who have the ability to move the masses, are now up in arms against the saffron leaders for being arrogant and insulting. Several BJP founders across India are foreseeing only successively disastrous defeats for the BJP in future. The local president could not even get a seat.
The Brahmagiri constituency in Puri district has just witnessed a whole Congress family defecting to the BJP, having been enticed by the BJP with rosy pictures of power after a victory in Odisha due to the make-believe Modi magic. BJP loudmouths keep screeching about the great ‘Modi principles' which are not even clear to Amit Shah, as the people get to know. Until the day the communally-inclined party gives up the Ram Temple issue, the people of India shall not trust them at all. Besides this irritant dream, the party bores people with the nowhere-known tradition of 'no beef' at any table in the country. Similarly, the ‘no Hindu girl marrying a Muslim' principle in a secular country is likely to drive the party to doom. By such inhuman approach to life, the BJP is widening the gap between the two great races of the world. The Indian Muslims are as lovable as the Indonesians, one of whom was the illustrious Sukarno for whom Biju Patnaik too had earned a legendary status. Unless we accord the Muslims their traditional choices of food and lifestyle, they shall turn reactive in protest. The BJP is politically, culturally and socially intolerant towards Indian communities of other respectable faiths. It is unfortunately true that some Muslim wings are turning violent, but the political heads must recognise the fact that they are only reacting to the ‘outcast-status' dumped on them by a few hardcore Hindu outfits. Some so-called Hindu sects or cults fail to know that tolerance; and promoting peaceful coexistence has been the guiding principles of the Hinduism founders. The original faith, called the Sanatana Dharma, means the eternal way of life. The BJP ignores all this core essence of the Hindu faith; and people at large suffer so much for no fault of theirs!
The political grapevines keep reporting that the BJP is busy amassing wealth for ten tenures on end. The popular rhetoric they put out publicly are all theatre because they know people are moved and shaken by dramatic talks and acts. The coalmines, long since nationalised to prevent wealth accumulating with a only a few private entities, would soon be in greedy bribe-giving private hands alongside state-owned Coal India (CIl), all this after the Coal Ordinance was promulgated in 2014.
Soon, the banks, nationalised in 1969 to serve the poor masses better, are likely to be heavily privatised soon. Only then, money under the table can flow in heavier amounts and faster without much hassle.
Hopefully, the present BJP biggies would wake up and turn saner with guidance from the Advanis, Jashwants, Shouries and other wise, experienced statesmen who have virtually abandoned the home they built once upon a time. If that happens, secular outfits like the BJD would love to join hands. Even, the bitter enemies like the Congress shall not say 'no' to alliances with the de-saffronised outfit for national interest.
(The writer is a core member of Transparency International, Odisha)