The Parliament session begins next week (November 24). You all (the MPs) had a meeting with chief minister Naveen Patnaik. What are the major issues your party is going to take up?

Continuing our stand of maintaining equal distance both from the Congress and the BJP, we will raise a number of issues, including demanding Rs 400 crore, which is yet to be released for restoration in the Phailin-hit areas, and Rs 500 crore towards the Huhud assistance. Besides, we will also demand speeding up of various railway projects, including completion of the Khurda-Balangir railway one. We will raise the demand for revision of the Revised Long Term Action Plan for the KBK and according Constitutional status to the Koshali language. We will also reiterate our demand for the special category status to Odisha.

You are talking of maintaining equal distance from the BJP and the Congress. But, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra has alleged that the BJD is inching towards the BJP. Your actions in the past four months clearly reflects this.

There is not an iota of truth in it. We have announced to lend issue-based support to the BJP-led government at the Centre. These will be issues that are in the interest of the state as well as that of the country. Now, a number of bills will come up in Parliament, and we will go for a microscopic analysis of each bill. Accordingly, we will decide on supporting the BJP. There is no question of extending blind support.

There is a public perception that your party has been closer to the BJP because of the ongoing CBI inquiry into the money deposit collection scam as you don’t want to annoy the Centre at this moment.

This is not true. The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation into the deposit-collection scam. We have welcomed the probe. Anybody, who is found to be guilty, will be held responsible and accountable. It’s all individual action, and the party is in no way involved in it. We sincerely want that the common investors, who had lost their money in the scam, get back their deposit.

Is not your party scared at this moment as a number of BJD leaders have already been arrested? Your colleague, Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahatab, is on record alleging that there was some political motive behind the inquiry. What do you say?

Why should we be scared? The investigating agency is doing its job. In fact, our government had handed over the scam case to the crime branch and also instituted a commission to further inquire into it. The CBI has taken forward the investigation process. The inquiry has just started. Personally, I feel everyone should wait till the CBI frames its charge sheet against the accused. Later, we will examine the veracity of the charges. Only after that happens one will be able to react on the question of political motive.

You are the face of the young generation in your party. How do you see the party’s future at this moment?

The future of the BJD is very bright. People have been repeatedly reposing their faith on the party and our supremo, Naveen Patnaik. In the recent general elections, we won 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats. Also, of the 147 Assembly seats, we have bagged 117 seats. In the by-election to the Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat, not only we won, but also our victory margin went up from two lakh votes to three lakh. Now, the Congress is a demoralised force and the BJP a negligible player.

But, Naveen is the lone leader in the party in whose name votes are coming. What about the party’s future after 10 to 15 years? Are you hoping that the regional party will survive or will it face a natural death?

Regional parties always have a role in a federal system of government. The party will emerge stronger in the coming days. Always, a leadership will grow in the party to take forward the party’s mandate and strive hard to fulfil hopes and aspirations of the people.

You’re saying Naveen will bring someone as his successor to lead the party in coming days…

I don’t believe so. Naveen does not believe in dynastic politics.

But all of your family members are in politics. How do you see the future of your younger brother, who wants to join politics?

It is the people of Balangir who will decide who should be their leader. Arkesh will certainly get justice one day. He is a gifted human being and always dedicated to the cause of people.

After a long time, both the families (yours and BJP state unit president K.V. Singh Deo’s) sat together during the last Nuakhai (harvest) festival and shared meals.

Nuakhai is a festival that celebrates friendship. Hence we came together. However, we still have cases pending against each other in the court. But, I am looking forward to the day when all the bitterness in the royal family will vanish.

You won from the Lok Sabha seat. The Balangir Assembly segment of your constituency was considered as the BJD’s bastion. Why did your father lose to Narasingh Mishra?

My father lost the election as the Congress and the BJP joined hands to ensure his defeat. Besides, he had not been well for a long time and was not able to directly communicate with the people. However, this situation will change in the coming days.

Despite the fact that you are an MP for the second term from Balangir and your party is in power for the past 15 years, the government has failed to decide on the headquarters of the Western Odisha Development Council. What do you say?

The headquarters should be moved to west Odisha. However, for me, the major concern is that more funds should be given to the council to take up various development projects for the people of this region.

West Odisha has already witnessed a number of agitations on the issue of setting up of a permanent bench of Orissa High Court and the IIM. You must be finding yourself in an awkward situation…

I have already taken a stand to support setting up of the bench in west Odisha. I have already taken up this issue with the chief minister. He has also recommended it in our favour. However, the ball is now in the high court. The court has to give a verdict on this issue. On the issue of the IIM, I also want it in our region. But, the IIM governing body and the Centre have their own mandate and norms. Accordingly, the IIM will be set up.

You must have felt hurt when your detractors tried to drag the name of your family into the murder of a BJD leader in Titilagarh.

I was not hurt, but amused! How can people stoop to such a low level to suit their political ends? It speaks of the character of those petty people. Ultimately, truth has come out and the guilty persons have been arrested.

How do you see Naveen as your leader? Don’t you feel that his image has been dented to a great extent following the ongoing investigation into the money deposit-collection scam?

Naveen babu is a brilliant politician with right attitude and right objective. That is why the people of Odisha have been voting for him over the past four decades. There are many investigations going on at various levels. But, the investigation is no way connected to our party president.

Your name was once associated with Bengali actress Raima Sen. The relationship perhaps is over. How do you feel when you look back to the past?

There is no question of looking back to the past. I have a wonderful wife. I am blessed with a son. Another child is expected. I am quite settled.

Articulate leader

Kalikesh Singh Deo, 40, son of Rajya Sabha member A.U. Singh Deo and grandson of former chief minister Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo, is a Doon school alumnus

He did his graduation in economics from St Stephen’s college, Delhi

Known for his straightforwardness, Singh Deo is articulate and has interest in golf, mountaineering, scuba diving and trap shooting

He started his political career by representing the Saintala seat in the Assembly in 2004

Later, he fought election from the Balangir Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 and won it comfortably

Since then, he has been representing the Balangir Lok Sabha seat

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN HAD YOU NOT BEEN A POLITICIAN?

I had decided to become a politician at a very early stage. I did my MBA and I would have pursued a career in the field of management, particularly in the baking sector, had I not joined politics.