Even as criminalisation and dynasty politics have invited widespread public criticism, political parties in Odisha seem to have cared a hoot for it.
Major political parties, including the ruling BJD, the Congress and the BJP, have brazenly perpetuated the two unsavoury trends while fielding candidates in several segments overlooking their criminal records and whether they were born with a silver spoon in their mouths or have the backing of a father or a mother or a husband who is already an established and influential leader.
Every political party has claimed to keep criminals at bay and field potential leaders with humble backgrounds. But in practice, criminals and goons continue to rule the roost, while many leaders who have strong grassroots link but are short of wealth, lobby, and strong political backing have been ignored during distribution of tickets. In their places have come candidates whose family members are in politics for long years.
BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is known for his zero tolerance to dissent and indiscipline in his party, has not been able to shrug off the strong lobby in favour of a few candidates to issue them tickets despite many criminal cases having been filed against them. Had it not been for saving his pro-women image and the serious charge of dowry torture against former Minister and Basta MlA Raghunath Mohanty and his family members, Patnaik would not have cancelled his ticket.
But Patnaik has deliberately overlooked charges against several of his nominees. In Puri, Brahmagiri and Pipili, he has fielded candidates who are facing charges of having links to high-profile murder and rape cases.The Congress too does not lag behind. In the name of winnability, most parties have made serious compromises with their avowed principles of fielding clean and non controversial candidates.
One way or the other, all the parties, despite their public stance against dynasty politics, have burnt their fingers in it. Dynasty politics in Odisha was introduced by late Chief Minister Harekrushna Mahtab. In 1971 Assembly polls, when he won from both Bhubaneswar and Bhadrak seats, he chose to quit the former and retain the latter. But in the by-poll, he fielded his wife Subhadra from Bhubaneswar and won the seat. Ever since, kings and queens of erstwhile Gadjats and royal provinces have managed to grab berths in Assembly and Parliament from Odisha and subsequently consolidated their kin.
The BJD’s AU Singh Deo, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in February polls and later was recalled to contest the coming polls from the Balangir Assembly seat, represents a stark example of dynasty politics. He is the younger son of late Balangir Patna king and former Chief Minister Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo. The BJD also has made AU’s son Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo as its nominee for the Balangir lok Sabha constituency.
The BJD this time has put up a bunch of nominees whose families either represent royal blood or legacy of long association with active politics. Khallikote queen Sugnan Kumari Deo, royal scion Arka Keshari Deo of Kalahandi, former Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy’s son Tathagata Satpathy from Dhenkanal, late former Chief Minister Nilamani Routray’s son Bijayshree Rout Roy from Basudevpur, former MP Sarat Deb’s son Pratap Keshari Deb, former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang’s wife Hema Gamang from laxmipur, former Minister and Biju Patnaik’s acolyte AP Singh’s son Rajanikant Singh from Angul, former late MlA Rajkishore Nayak’s son Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak from Mahakalpada, former Minister Prafulla Ghadai’s son Pritiranjan from Sukinda and many others have been chosen as nominees by the ruling party with a message loud and clear that the BJD is never averse to dynasty politics.
The Congress, which sowed the seed of dynasty politics in the country, is no way behind the BJD. Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Ram Chandra Rath’s son lok Nath Rath has been fielded against BJD’s ladu Kishor Swain for Aska lok Sabha constituency. Similarly Manoranjan, son of Chintamani Dyansamantara, former Assembly Speaker and senior Congress leader, will lock horns with BJD’s Usha Devi in Chikiti Assembly constituency. Usha is Chikiti’s queen and has represented the seat for 15 years. There are several other nominees of the party with strong political backing as well.
BJP president KV Singh Deo and his wife Sangita Kumari Singh Deo represent the royal families of the yesteryear. KV is son of Raj Raj Singh Deo, a two-time MP and elder son of Rajendra Narayan Deo. There are several others in the saffron party who also inherit long family legacy in politics.