You will be leading the Congress’s poll campaign in the state as chairman of the party’s campaign committee for the state. Considering that the Congress has suffered a series of humiliating defeats in the recently concluded urban elections, are you hopeful of the Congress being able to take on the BJD?

One must understand there is a huge difference between an urban election and a general election. While urban elections are fought on local issues, general elections are fought on broader issues. Taking the 14 years of misgovernance and absence of developments in the state, we are quite hopeful that we will be able to dislodge the Naveen Patnaik government from power. Besides me, the party has a number of stalwarts, who will lead the campaign.

 

The Congress appears to be a divided house. A number of prominent leaders, including Ramakrushna Patnaik and Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, have deserted the party. How will you be able to give a fight to the BJD when your house is not in order?

There might be differences of opinion. But, after Ranjib Biswal won the Rajya Sabha election, despite the Naveen Patnaik government’s all-out efforts, the rank and file of the party are united and determined to teach a lesson to Naveen. On the issue of people quitting the party, I can tell you that it will have no impact. It’s a national party. Whoever he may be.... there are many aspirants for tickets from the Congress, and ultimately, one person will be the party nominee. So, it’s natural that there would be dissent and dissatisfaction among some people. One can’t help it.

What are the poll issues you intend to take up during the election?

We will go to public and tell them how 60 families have looted entire mineral resources of the state and accumulated properties. On the other hand, 60 lakh families have been cheated in the deposit collection fund scam, which was once patronised by none other than Naveen Patnaik. The Justice M.B. Shah Commission, inquiring into the scam, has already raised the issue of Rs 60,000 crore worth minerals being looted. Ours fight would be between 60 lakh families versus 60 families. Apart from that, we will highlight the UPA’s contributions to the development of the state and also the miserable performance of the Naveen Patnaik government in the past 14 years.

 

Suppose, there are prominent families belonging to the Congress Party are among the 60 families, which, according to you, have plundered the state’s mineral resources. Do you think that the party will be able to take lead against them and make it a poll campaign?

We will not spare any one. The state’s interest is primary to us.

The state government differs with observations of the Justice M.B. Shah Commission on several issues related to the mining scam. It has also made clear that there is no need for a CBI inquiry. What’s your take?

The CBI is the only credible agency, which can unearth the truth. It is the only agency available at this moment in which people can have faith. As the state vigilance is directly under the chief minister, you cannot expect a free and fair probe.

The Naveen government claims that it has done a lot for the state and introduced a number of schemes for welfare of downtrodden. Is it not unfair on your part to give some credit to the ruling BJD?

Odisha has been identified as one of the poorest states. Even after 14 years of continuous governance, the BJD has completely failed to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of people. Except opening liquor shops, they have done nothing. What you have noticed is some improvement in education and health sector. It is primarily because the central government is providing liberal funds to the sectors. They just change names of various central schemes and take the credit. Be it Re 1-kg rice scheme or any other scheme.

The Centre’s neglect of Odisha has been the theme song of the BJD politics. Last week, they raised the issue of special category status to the state, stating that while Odisha’s demand was side-stepped, the UPA government has agreed to give backward status for the proposed Seemandhra. What do you say?

Look at the NDA government’s allocation for the state when Naveen was a minister at the Centre and compare the amount with the allocations made by UPA I and UPA II, you will get the answer. The UPA allocation is much higher. I am always ready for a debate with Naveen Patnaik on a common platform. Odisha has got at least seven medical colleges during the UPA regime. But when Naveen was at the Centre, the NDA was not able to open a single nursery school in the state.

On the issue of special category, the case of Seemandhra is different. The state is being split. They feel that everything has gone to Telangana. The Centre is trying to address that issue. That’s not the situation here in Odisha.

The inauguration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here has sparked off a controversy. The BJP claims that it was their contribution to Odisha and not the Congress’s, because it was the NDA government, which had sanctioned the institute.

I don’t want to indulge in politics. The truth is that it was the UPA, which released funds in 2010 and ensured that medical college was set up. People should take benefit of the health care facilities provided at a cheaper cost.

Coming back to politics, is it not true that an interesting election is in the offing as it would be a tussle between Biju babu’s prodigal son (as he had described you once during the elections) and his own Naveen?

During my student days, I started my political career with Biju babu. I remained with him till his death. My association with him was nearly 35 years during which there were issues on which I differed with him. Take the case of the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendation on job reservation for the OBCs. Biju babu was opposed to the recommendations. I was for it.

I had opposed him when he decided to sell the OMC Alloys. Differences of opinion on issues do not mean that I had any personal bitterness towards him. I have great personal regards for him and I have never betrayed him. It was Naveen who betrayed Biju.

 

Why do you say so? Would you elaborate?

Biju babu was a secular leader and had never made any alliance with the BJP. By making an alliance with the BJP in 2000, Naveen betrayed his father, who had never compromised with the RSS politics.

 

All opinion polls predict in favour of the BJP coming to power at the Centre. Its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is coming to the state on March 14 for a second political meeting. Are you worried?

Let him (Modi) come to Odisha 1,000 times, it will have no effect. The opinion polls in 2004 and 2009 were also against the UPA. But the Congress-led UPA bounced back.

Veteran of political battles

A veteran of many political battles Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers, 64-year-old Srikant Jena is now the chairman of the Congress party’s campaign committee for the state.

He did his intermediate from Ravenshaw Collegiate School and graduation from Kendrapara college.

He was elected to Odisha Assembly in a row between 1977 to 1989. He was a minister in the Nilamani Routray government in the late 70s and went to the Lok Sabha in 1989 as a Janata Dal candidate. He became a minister in the V.P. Singh government and had served the H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral governments as a cabibet minister. In 2009, he won from Balasore Lok Sabha seat.

Jena, a sports lover, takes a special interest in cricket and football. He is also interested in health care and rural development. Jena’s favourite pastime is reading and gardening.

Imprisoned for 19 months during the Emergency in 1975-77, Jena had taken part in various movements.