After Gopalpur MLA and former BJD leader Pradip Panigrahy raised a banner of protest against the whirlwind tour of 5T Secretary VK Pandian and his growing clout in the party and the Government, now BJD Khandapada MLA, editor and media baron Soumya Ranjan Patnaik has attacked the CM and his party colleagues, including MLAs and Ministers, denouncing Pandian’s image building exercise at the cost of elected representatives by unnecessary draining of the State exchequer.
In an editorial in his newspaper recently and later speaking to mediapersons, Patnaik sought to show how for organising the meetings of the 5T Secretary in various parts of the State, a huge sum of money was spent which he equated with the money spent for the ISRO’s Moon landing mission of Chandrayan-3. He questioned why the State Government should be spending so much for the frequent helicopter journey and the pompous meetings of an IAS officer when the man in question is still in the job and getting his fat salary.
Patnaik also poked fun at the people’s representatives for their helplessness, who while should be leading the show, were instead acting at the beck and call of the officer. He suggested Pandian to do politics if he liked so, but only after quitting his job. His editorial raised a hue and cry in the BJD circle.
While MLA Panigrahy was attacked and his vehicle was pelted with stones and eggs during his confrontation with the BJD workers during his attempt to forcibly get access to the meeting venue of the 5T Secretary in Brahmapur last month, with the BJD continuously projecting him as a tainted leader involved in cheating job seekers and bungling of funds, in Patnaik’s case, the BJD reacted with all guns blazing. Two Ministers like Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Pratab Deb, former Minister Arun Sahu and MP Amar Patnaik in short intervals rebuffed Patnaik, pointing finger at his nature as a party hopper, blackmailer and opportunist. While the BJD boss and CM Naveen Patnaik has maintained a studied silence so far, the combined attack on Patnaik shows BJD’s desperate attempt to nip rebellion in the party in the bud.
On the flip side, Patnaik’s open criticism of the entire BJD functionaries has not only put the strongest ruling party in the State in a quandary, it seems to have distanced the Khandapada MLA from his party. Panigrahy was only targeting the 5T Secretary and the later, too targeted him obliquely in a meeting in Ganjam, but Patnaik has challenged the BJD, the Government and the CM, by disagreeing with their style of functioning. He may dub it as calling a spade a spade, but its repercussions in coming days may weigh heavy on him.