The Congress party seems to be divided over the Mahanadi issue. There is difference of opinion between your legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra and the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan on this issue. The PCC president even did not endorse the all-party meeting convened by the leader of Opposition. How do you see it?

The Mahanadi issue involves both the Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The Odisha government initially had taken the issue lightly when report came in that without intimating Odisha government, Chhattsigarh was continuing to build barrages. In 2011, the Odisha government's water resources department had categorically said that even if Chhattisgarh built a hundred barrages, it would not affect Odisha. Chhattisgarh government moved in that direction because there was no opposition from our side. The industrial houses came and extended their support to Chhattisgarh because they could use the water from the Mahanadi. If the BJD is accused number one, the BJP is accused number 2. Sitting along with them on the table has no meaning. It will only give them an escape route. I have already made it clear that sharing dais with the BJD and BJP is not possible.

If your party is so serious about the Mahanadi issue, why there is dissension in the party at a time your legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra led a delegation to the President on the Mahanadi issue?

Mishra could have taken the PCC president with him and I do not see anything wrong in it. It would have been much better had he been accompanied by the PCC president. It would have sent a message that the Congress is united on this issue and committed to protect the interest of Odisha. But Mishra has chosen the other way. I don't know why he had decided not to take the PCC into confidence. There must be some reason for that. But the one thing is that our party is united on the one issue that state's interest should not be compromised.

The BJD is of the view that national parties always ignore the interests of Odisha. In the case of Polavaram, the Congress-led UPA government had declared it a national project. Now its fight on the Mahanadi issue is just an eyewash. How do you react to it?

I don't agree with you. On the Polavaram issue, the Congress-led UPA government had made it clear that the villages of Malkangiri would not be affected, when it gave its approval. In the Mahanadi case, the Chhattisgarh government has gone ahead with building the barrages. They should be stopped at any cost. The government of Odisha should approach the appropriate authority for an assessment study on the impact of all these projects on the downstream of Mahanadi. What would be its the Hirakud reservoir? Without doing anything in the field of irrigation, the Naveen Patnaik lately has lately been trying to take political mileage from this issue. I am shocked to know that the Odisha government had failed to utilise even 10 per cent water of the Mahanadi and 90 per cent goes waste.

The Congress is already divided into camps on the Mahanadi issue. Everyone considers you as the advisor of the Prasad camp and also blames you for the differences between PCC and CLP.

I am not anybody's advisor. I support whoever the PCC president is. If anybody seeks my opinion, I give my frank opinion. Whenever there is a meeting in the party, I give my opinion and remarks. I also came out in support of the bandh call given by the PCC. It was a grand success. The anger of the people was reflected.

But you are aware of the differences. Your party's former Nabarangpur MP Pradeep Majhi said that the difference of opinion between Mishra and Harichandan had had its impact on the party.

I am not the right person to comment on this. Difference is the essence of public life. Otherwise, it will be monolithic in nature. We must work in tandem. What is the difference? If they have their egos, it should be resolved in the larger interests of the party.

A section of leaders recently opposed in the party meeting...

A few people tried to link my name to a controversy that had been played up by a particular media house. Who are the owners of the media? I will not allow the politics of the state to be taken over by the mining politics of Odisha. One should remember that the Congress has been built with the muthi chaula (contribution from the poorest of the poor). This continues even today. I know the mining mafia want to undermine this. Attempts are being made by a section of people to put the Justice M.B. Shah Commission's report on mining scam into the dustbin.

Whatever happened to the Shah Commission report?

The Centre and the state are hand-in-glove not to implement the recommendations of the Shah Commission. It was the UPA government that had instituted the Shah Commission. But all efforts are being made to suppress the commission's report. The Opposition is also sitting quiet. But I make it clear as long as Srikant Jena is in politics, they will not be allowed to take over the politics of Odisha.

You may or may not agree, but there is a clear division between the PCC and the Congress Legislature Party. People have a feeling that this infighting will have its impact on the coming panchayat elections. Do you agree?

There is a feeling that the panchayat elections will be a tough challenge for the party. Of course, I am of the view that all differences within the party should have been avoided till the elections got over. This will help Naveen and weaken the Opposition.

In the past six months, a number of issues such as child deaths at Nagada due to malnutrition and killing of tribals in Kandhamal by the state police in the name of encounter with Maoists have come up. But the party has failed to take up these issues aggressively.

I completely agree with you. Besides, there was Puja vaccation that affected our momentum. The PCC president had visited almost all the spots. But whatever should have been done has not been done so far. I will raise the issue with the PCC and I am quite hopeful that the PCC will intensify the agitation in a more focused way. Otherwise, we will pay the price for it.

Odisha in charge B.K. Hariprasad is visiting the state. The leader of Opposition had already visited New Delhi and met the high command expressing his displeasure over the functioning of the state unit. There is a buzz that the countdown for the PCC president has begun.

I have no idea about the views of Rajhulji on shifting or not shifting the PCC president. He will do whatever is in the best interests of the party.

Don't you think the PCC president should have a fixed tenure?

The PCC president is not a watch and ward staff. Whether he should have a fixed tenure or not should be debated.

You are considered a master strategist. A section of the Congress leaders continue to say that the party had lost the last election because of your wrong planning.

This allegation is an old story now. There is always some vested interest. The same people from the beginning of my career had tried to fix me on various issues but they had never been successful. They will remain there and continue to heap garbage on me. I wish them good luck.

The BJP is pulling out all stops to strengthen its base in Odisha. The BJD is in a commanding position. It seems Congress is nowhere in the race as far as 2019 general elections are concerned...

The Congress's future is bright. The BJP is gradually losing ground at the national level. Just wait and watch. There will be no Modi wave in the 2019 election. On the other hand, public anger against the BJD is quite visible. It will explode sooner or later. Just think of pre-1989. Every one had though that the Janata Dal was finished, but it bounced back. Similar stories are likely to be repeated.

You are considered the "prodigal son" of Biju Patnaik. After 20 years of his demise, how do you see Naveen as his successor?

Biju and Naveen cannot be compared. As he is the son of Biju babu, there is a natural advantage for him. I always used to respect Biju babu . My difference with him was ideological and many people equate me with that of his prodigal son. It is not acceptable to me.

But there is a perception that Biju could not become Prime Minister because of you...

This is rubbish. I pity the ignorance of these people.

You have become a constituency hopper. You have no fixed constituency. In the 2019 election, where would you like to contest from?

If it is left to me, I will not contest the next election. Rather, I will only campaign for the Congress. If the party wants me to contest, I will do what a disciplined soldier is expected to do.