Pallahara BJD MlA Mahesh Sahu has hit headlines long after remaining in the wilderness by his controversial statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sahu blasted Modi for less action and more talks. He denounced the PM’s speeches at the election rallies in UP where the BJP is making all-out efforts to wrest power from Akhilesh Yadav, a powerful youth icon and a tough nut to crack.
Sahu’s exasperation is clear against the PM as he is not prepared to buy the marketing of BJP-led NDA Government’s policies, vigorously pursued by Modi through his powerful oratory in UP election rallies. Very openly, Sahu lambasted Modi for zeroing in on speeches rather than delivering on the ground.
Sahu has every right to criticize as in a democracy differences of opinion are welcome. But his use of certain words and that too, in the floor of the House against the PM was not acceptable. The BJP took it as an affront on the PM and demanded an unconditional apology from Sahu. The House witnessed uproar by the BJP members over the use of derogatory words against the PM.
However, on the contrary, Sahu stayed defiant and rather criticised strongly all those who condemned his words against the PM. The BJP also hit out at Sahu for his ungratefulness as the latter had won from Talcher as an MlA repeatedly in BJP ticket.
Sahu switched over to the BJD in 2009 after long years of marginalisation in the BJP despite being a mass leader of undisputed integrity and his sound Dalit base. Sahu is also known for his powerful speech-making. His point of frustration was that he was consistently being squeezed in his constituency thanks to the overarching influence of Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was fast emerging as a leader of the same party in the area. Sahu’s experience and mass base could not withstand Pradhan’s political legacy, his ABVP base, organizational acumen and links with the Central leaders in the BJP. Sidelined over a long period, Sahu finally chose to join the BJD. He unsuccessfully contested the 2009 election on BJD ticket, when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had a wave across the State. Consequently, he had to face a double whammy. He lost support at the grassroots, what he had very meticulously earned by working for the BJP for long years since he made a debut in politics by winning as the president of the Talcher College student union. And, at the same time, he could not prove his mettle as a mass leader in Talcher by losing the election on BJD ticket for the first time. From 2009 to 2014, Sahu virtually turned into a nonentity.
It was a period of agony, uncertainty and struggle for the senior leader. Meanwhile, Independent MlA Braja Kishore Pradhan from Talcher also joined the BJD, thus making it uncertain if Sahu was to get the BJD ticket from Talcher again in 2014. However, Sahu was given ticket from the party but this time from Pallahara. Sahu saved his image by registering a victory.
On the contrary, Dharmendra Pradhan who was also defeated in 2009 from Pallahara, was made a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar by the BJP. And, since then Pradhan did not look back. And, today while he is heading a powerful Ministry in the Union Government, at the same time, he is being projected as the Chief Ministerial face of the State BJP because of his clout in the Central unit and proximity with the PM. Pradhan has thus far surpassed Sahu as the latter has turned a silent sufferer.
The BJD has not rewarded Sahu commensurate with his seniority and talent either. In the undivided Dhenkanal district, less popular leaders like Rajanikant Singh and Prafulla Mallick in the BJD have got Ministry portfolios, but those who are not original BJD men but switched over to the party like Sahu and Parjang MlA Narasingh Sahu stay ignored.
Hence, the sudden outburst of Sahu against the PM could be due to being continuously neglected in his parent party and in the BJD, the meteoric rise of Pradhan, Modi making Pradhan his blue-eyed boy, and most importantly, his desperate attempt to be in limelight after a long gap.x