When Bijay Mohapatra’s BJD nomination for the Patkura Assembly seat was cancelled at the last moment in 2000, very few of the discerning politicians might have then got an inkling about the crafty nature of BJD boss Naveen Patnaik under the cloak of a novice, who later turned out to be an unchallenged leader.
Dr Damodar Rout, given his long political career as a seven-time MLA, should not therefore by any account be considered ignorant about Patnaik’s trait. Yet, he, despite having been dropped from the Ministry continued to be a loudmouth by not refraining from trying to make headlines by his comments on different issues, sometimes funny and ridiculous.
And, after creating so much consternation for the BJD chief by his series of allegations of corruptions in various departments, he should have surely foreseen what was in store for him. Needless to say, his expulsion was a fait accompli.
The leaders who formed the BJD like Bijay Mohapatra, Dilip Ray, Nalilikanta Mohanty, Panchanan Kanungo, Ramkrushna Patnaik and those who later on had managed to exert some degree of influence like Pyarimohan Mohapatra, Prafulla Ghadai and even Dr Rout (after he was the first ones to inform Patnaik about the alleged midnight coup staged by Pyarimohan Mohapatra when Patnaik was in London), none of them is in the BJD now. Patnaik has expelled them citing their involvement in anti-party activities,indiscipline and corruption without any harm to his party or his vote bank.
On the contrary, the more of these heavyweights have been axed, the stronger has been the BJD.
In fact, Rout in his reaction after being axed from the BJD, admitted that he was neither surprised nor shocked.
“I knew that ever since I was dropped as Minister and vice-president of the party, I was no longer in the BJD,” told Rout.
But he warned of tumbling more skeletons from the BJD cupboard as far as corruption in the present dispensation is concerned.
But known for his ‘assassin instinct’, Patnaik pooh-poohed Rout’s threat and dubbed his charges of corruption as “irresponsible and ridiculous”.
But former BJD leader Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda’s meeting Rout soon after his expulsion from the party at the latter’s residence has certainly added grist to the mill. Panda had embarrassed Patnaik by his articles in newspapers and postings in social media about loopholes in the BJD without ever daring to meet face to face with the CM over his issues of disenchantment.
Rout too was giving media bytes over various issues much to the chagrin of his party chief and colleagues.
But never did he take Patnaik into his confidence.
Now the meeting between the two leaders has sparked off speculations about formation of an alternative to the BJD by taking all anguished former BJD leaders and Biju loyalists.
However, only time will say whether they come up with a challenge for Patnaik or pass into wilderness like over three dozens of BJD leaders who were shown the door over last 18 years in the coming elections.