Suresh Pujari, former president of BJP state unit
The grapevine has it that the BJD is interested in reviving its alliance with the NDA. What are your views?
As far as the state unit is concerned, there is absolutely no chance. We will oppose any move steered towards alliance. We have not forgotten the past. BJD is in a mess after Rajya Saba member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra’s exit and is struggling for survival. But there are many compulsions at the national level. BJP will certainly search for allies. It is always the Central leadership that takes a final call on such issues.
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With just six MLAs in the state Assembly, BJP seems to be a spent force in Odisha. Do you feel it can be revived?
BJP is still a force to be reckoned with in Odisha. In 1984, our number was reduced to two in the Lok Sabha, but we made a comeback and formed the government. Now we are the main Opposition at the Centre with around 140 MPs. This will be repeated here.
Have you analysed reasons for the party’s loss in the 2009 elections?
Excess reliability on the BJD! We were not prepared to go to polls on our own strength. After BJD unilaterally broke the alliance, we were caught off guard. As people wanted to keep the Congress out of power, they voted for the BJD.
Do you agree that Opposition parties, especially BJP, have failed to play their role effectively?
Even BJD as a ruling party has failed to discharge its duties. Honestly speaking, Opposition parties, including us, have failed to expose the government at various times though the Naveen Patnaik government has provided sufficient ammunition to us.
There seems to be no unity in the party. Cracks were exposed following a rift between the present BJP state unit president, Jual Oram and party legislature leader, K.V. Singhdeo, who submitted his resignation after the incident. You too are not on good terms with Oram.
There is no dispute between Oram and me, only difference of opinion. But infighting is not a healthy sign. We are trying to mend our ways and put up a united fight in 2014 elections. Sometimes, disputes within the party become public because we, unlike BJD or Congress, have internal democracy.
Oram’s tenure as party president will soon end. Is it true that you are in the race to succeed him?
I am not in any race. Many of my well-wishers in the party might have circulated my name in the media. We are in the process of organisational polls. By November 15, you will see a new president. As a disciplined member, I will do whatever I am asked to.
Your party MLA, Bhimsen Choudhury, who was suspended for abstaining from the Rajya Sabha polls in 2010, has apologised for his conduct. But his suspension is yet to be revoked. Do you think it is unfair on him?
The party had then faced a lot of embarrassment because of him. But now they must consider bringing him back. He has already suffered a lot. The punishment should not be disproportionate to the conduct.
You hail from Western Odisha which is burning with the Lower Suktel issue. The Rs 1,042-crore project is facing stiff resistance from people in Balangir. Do you think it should come up?
Yes. Work has been delayed due to the dilly-dally attitude of the government. The NDA government had sanctioned money for this project. But it could not take off because of the state government’s insincerity. Displaced people should be properly rehabilitated and compensated.
Why blame the government always? Your party had an alliance with ruling BJD for nearly nine years. Why didn’t you put pressure on them to expedite the project work?
In coalition politics, there are many compulsions. Irrigation department is headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik. A junior partner cannot dictate terms to its senior partner. However, we had urged him to take up the project work but nothing was done.
The government seems to be focusing on the development of western Odisha by enhancing the annual budget allocation for Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) from Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore. Do you agree?
Western Odisha has been neglected for a long time. The establishment of the High Court Circuit has been delayed and the government, after constituting an inquiry commission, has remained silent on the issue. WODC is a toothless body. It should be an elected council and a not a nominated one. Our demand is WODC should be constituted on the lines of the autonomous Gorkhaland.
You are an advocate handling the Laxmanananda Sarswati murder case that led to the 2008 Kandhamal riots. What is the progress in the case?
I want the mystery regarding Swamiji’s murder to be unravelled. The judicial commission should complete its inquiry within a time frame. But then the government has failed to provide adequate infrastructure to the commission to expedite its investigation.
Firebrand leader
Well-known as a firebrand yet sensible political leader, Suresh Pujari, 52, is the former president of the state unit of BJP
Hailing from Bargarh district, Pujari completed his college education from Gangadhar Meher College, Sambalpur, with physics as his subject both at the graduation and postgraduation levels. As the president of the college union, he spearheaded a state-wide students’ agitation in 1980-81 and also led the peasants’ movement, many trade union movements and was associated with several social causes
A bachelor’s degree holder in law from L.R. Law College in the same town, Pujari went for a postgraduate diploma course in labour law and personal management at Sambalpur University soon after which he became an advocate (1986)
Pujari was elected as the chairman of Sambalpur Municipality in 1992 and member of the State Pollution Control Board in 1994. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1995-96 and has held various important positions in the state unit of the party. He was nominated as member of the state vice-president in 2000 and then as state general secretary in 2004
In 2006, he was elected as the party president for Odisha and was succeeded by Jual Oram. He has also been a member of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research and State Planning Board
what would you have been Had you not been a politician?
Since the very beginning, I was career-oriented as I was a good student. My parents were interested to see me become a bureaucrat, but during my college days, circumstances were such that I had to change tracks and enter politics. As a student leader, I was involved in many campaigns and movements, even during the Emergency. Around 50 criminal cases were registered against me and I struggled to take the cases off me. Today, I have no regrets in life. As a politician and advocate, I am serving society, which has always been my goal.
