With JB Patnaik’s tenure as the Governor of Assam ending on December 11, there are speculations whether he would return to politics in Odisha. As Congress veteran Patnaik is unlikely to get an extension of his present gubernatorial post or another posting under the NDA regime, the three-time Chief Minister will no doubt return to his home State.
According to observers, 87-year-old Patnaik may not prefer a comeback to active politics, but because of his Statewide network, he may be prodded by many in the Congress to play some major political role. Patnaik, who was Chief Minister from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999, still has a large number of followers in the State.
Popularly called JB, he as the State Congress chief failed to prevent BJD leader Naveen Patnaik from coming to power in the 1990s. However, under a changing situation when the BJD seems to be losing ground in the wake of the chit fund scam, there is hope for revival of the Congress despite a possibility of the BJP gaining prominence in the State at the BJD’s cost.