• The Congress appears to be a divided house. The MLAs are at loggerheads with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan, who seems to enjoy the confidence of B.K. Hariprasad, the AICC general secretary and in charge of Odisha affairs. You have made derogatory remarks against Hariprasad and criticised him. What prompted you to do this?

Hariprasad is playing mischief. He has been misleading everyone here in the name of Rahul Gandhi and trying to create a division in the Congress in an attempt to increase his tenure as Odisha in-charge. 
He never looks after the party’s interests. He has never fought an election and does not understand the problems of workers and elected representatives. I remember the day when Hariprasad took over the reins of the party here, he did not say, "Let us all join hands and work unitedly". Instead, he issued a warning: "All will have to remain united and it was Rahul Gandhi’s direction". I did not like his tone and tenor that day. Somehow, it made me feel that this man would not be able to give proper direction to the party. His behaviour is too autocratic.

• Why are you labelling such a serious charge against him? 

I have worked under him. Had he been serious, the state of affairs in the Congress would have been much better. I have seen Ghulam Nabi Azad and others (who have run the party in states). I will cite the latest example...We have 16 MLAs, of which, eight are SC and STs. Hariprasad has tried to create a division among the legislators. He took four SC/ST MLAs to meet Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Why did not he consult all of us. Later, when I spoke to Bhujabala Majhi, one of those who had gone to Delhi, the way he answered to my queries led me to believe that Prasad was trying to create a division.
 
• Aren’t you worried that the party may suspend you for airing your views against Hariprasad?

Why have we come to the Assembly? We are there to do public service. I am raising the issue for the greater interest of the party. If the party suspends me on this ground, I will accept it. 

• For the past five months, Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra and PCC president Prasad Harichandan are at loggerheads. Being an MLA, you must be aware of the differences between the two? How did it begin?

It was on the Mahanadi river issue. The Opposition leader had urged the chief minister to call an all-party meeting on the river dispute. But once he declined that, Mishra called the all-party meeting. What wrong did he do? The Mahanadi river is the lifeline of Odisha and the entire state is agitated over the dispute. Many leaders cutting across party affiliations welcomed Mishra’s move. All the parties extended their support to the initiative. Instead of supporting the move, Harichandan stayed away from the meeting and said the party did not endorse the meeting. It amounted to humiliation. Perhaps this led to differences between the Opposition leader and the Pradesh Congress Committee chief.
 
• How will the differences between the two leaders be sorted out? 

It’s the responsibility of the AICC to find a solution. Instead of doing that, it seems to be aggravating the matter.

• All the MLAs had met the AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi on the issue. What did he tell you?

Our meeting with Rahulji was very cordial. He wanted to know about the nature of our movement to save the Mahanadi and also extended his support to our cause. On the issue of party infighting, he had said steps would be taken to resolve the matter. Accordingly, he had assigned the job to Hariprasad. But, he (Hariprasad) has miserably failed.

• The panchayat elections are only two months away. The BJD has gone far ahead with its preparations. Being a grassroots-level worker, what’s your forecast about your party’s prospects in the panchayat polls? 

Leave it to the hand of God. Only God can save us. Let us hope for the best. I am not too optimistic.

• Voices are being raised against Harichandan. Do you think he should be removed? 

Who am I to tell? But I hope he should feel that the time has come to resolve all these issues. When he was the chief whip of the party in 2009, he always used to say that we had to take people with us. I had great hope from his leadership. After he became the PCC chief, he gave a call: ‘It’s we and not me’. But nothing has happened. His attitude has changed. Being the president of the party, it’s his responsibility to pinpoint the mistakes that we make and take corrective measures. But, that is missing. 
 
• There is a growing perception that the Congress is a sinking boat and will be finished by 2019. How do you feel? Will you continue with such a party? 

You cannot say that the Congress’s future is bleak. We have seen the rise and fall of the Congress. I belong to a Congress family. 

I will prefer to die in the party rather than quit...But my loyalty to the party cannot be questioned.
 
• Do you think that the death of Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, a leader who had a considerable following among the youth population, will have any impact on the Congress? 

Mohapatra was an inspiration to the youths. Even from his deathbed, he had planned for the students’ union elections. 

• After Mohapatra’s death, a section of Congress workers targeted Hariprasad and accused the party leadership of not showing due respect to the late leader.

I agree with that. At the same time, I would also like to share the fact that many Congress leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, had met Mohapatra while he was undergoing treatment. 
But, Hariprasad did not find time to meet Lulu. Even after his death, he did not turn up to pay respect to him. Is it not an insult to us? You are in charge of Odisha affairs and you have no time for the state’s leaders.

• Do you think it is right on the part of leadership to initiate action against party workers who had tried to humiliate Hariprasad for his action (not visiting Mohapatra)?

Those who have no experience and never contested any election will only take punitive action against their own family members. 

The youths, who had tried to humiliate Hariprasad, had already admitted to their mistakes. The issue should not be precipitated.

• Hariprasad has stated that he had offered the PCC presidentship to Mohapatra and he has a lot of respect for the late leader. 

This is absolutely wrong. Even if it’s true, he should not have made such a statement when the members of the Congress family were mourning his death.
 
• The winter session of the Assembly has begun. Earlier, we saw how the Opposition had disrupted proceedings during the monsoon session. Will the same trend continue?

In the monsoon session, it was the ruling party which had stalled the House proceedings on the Mahanadi river dispute. I hope they will be more responsible this time and see that the House runs smoothly.

They have no respect for the House...Officials provide wrong information to the House. BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb has admitted it. Even the MLAs do not get due respect... 

• What are you talking about… 

There are clear guidelines to officials (the Book Circular 47) about the way in which the officials are supposed to treat the peoples’ representatives. 

But, the officials prepare plans sitting in air-conditioned rooms. And if a public representative raises his voice, they will claim that he or she is threatening them. 

• Are you saying this because the Tangarapali block development officer had registered a criminal case against you because he did not agree to award a contract to one of your followers?

I never take any commission from anyone for giving work. I try to ensure that the quality of work is never affected. 
When the issue was discussed at a meeting in presence of the officer, he made some remarks against me and I got annoyed. Later, he lodged an  FIR against me. When he realised that it was his mistake, he withdrew the FIR.

• There is a tussle between the officers and MLAs. What can be done on this issue? 

I am only a two-time MLA. But, I heard senior minister Damodar Rout quoting Biju babu that if the officers were not working and indulged in corruption, beat them. Perhaps, this medicine is required at this moment. 

Sporting spirit

• A graduate, 43-year-old Jogesh Kumar Singh has carved a niche for himself in state politics
• The son of a sarpanch, Singh won consecutive Assembly elections from Sundargarh, considered as one of the last bastions of the Bharatiya Janata Party
• The two-time Congress MLA was earlier a zilla parishad member and later as a sarpanch from 2007 to 2009
• He is a well-known football, cricket and volleyball player

What would you have been if not a politician

I hail from a political family. So from the very beginning, I had decided to join politics. Had I not been a politician, I would continue as a social worker