You are not contesting the elections this time. The campaigning is in full swing. You also happen to be one of the Congress’s star campaigners for the state. How do you feel for not contesting an election in your more than three-decade long political career?

I am at my home enjoying life. There is no remorse on my part. My colleagues in the party used to come to me and take my advice on how to fight the elections. I used to help them in chalking out their respective electoral strategies. Now when I meet people, I ask them to vote for the Congress. One must remember that people remain in politics to do some good work for the people and the state. I am concentrating on that.

Why did you decide not to contest the elections? Is it a fact that the central leadership denied a ticket to you and forced you to withdraw from active politics?

It will not be proper on my part to put the blame on the AICC. In fact, the AICC had asked me to contest either from the Assembly or the Lok Sabha seat from Puri. I decided not to contest as I had failed to prove myself fit to lead the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee. (Niranjan was removed from the OPCC presidentship on May 13 last year and Jaydev Jena replaced him) … A person, who is politically unfit to run the organisation, has no right to contest the elections … I decided to make way for youngsters.

How do you visualise your party’s prospects in the forthcoming elections?

There was a scope for the Congress to take advantage of the growing discontent against the Naveen Patnaik government. People are fed up with the administration. There has been no development. The state is facing huge unemployment problems ... There are no job opportunities, no industries. But, my party failed to capitalise the situation. Not only the Congress, but others, including the BJP, have also failed to encash it.

By making such a statement on the leadership, don’t you think that you are inviting disciplinary action against yourself?

When a son or a daughter goes for an examination … their parents and well-wishers expect the child to perform exceedingly well. They are always honest about their child’s ability and make a perfect assessment, so that their child learns and grows … Being a Congress man, I feel that had we rectified our mistakes, we would have won more seats.

A section of party men feel that a group of leaders have succeeded in dislodging the Patnaik family from the Congress politics. Your views on that…

Those who have inferiority complex will make such sweeping statements … It’s the language of those inferior people, who always try to hog the limelight. I am in active politics. For me, the purpose of being in politics goes beyond becoming an MLA or MP. There is no need for everyone to contest the elections.

Don’t you feel that you have been let down by the party and it has been hijacked by a few people?

I don’t have any such feeling. Being denied a ticket and not able to contest the election, are part and parcel of politics. I am used to with it. The Congress is a national party and if it finds anything wrong, it will certainly correct its course. On the issue of the party being hijacked by a few people, I can only say … time will tell.

Being a senior leader of the party, aren’t you disturbed that many party leaders and workers are deserting the Congress?

When there is discontentment in the party, people leave. It had happened in the past as well. We had learnt the lessons. Let us wait and watch what is there in the store for us.

How do you view politics?

It is the most sacred … yet, most difficult field. To remain in politics, one has to make big sacrifices. However, the traditional political values are gradually eroding. Good people are staying away from politics.

The state Congress leadership has taken up the issue of mining scam and made it a poll campaign issue. As your family members are in the mining business, won’t it affect your image?

Hypocrisy has no place in politics. I have repeatedly demanded a CBI inquiry into the mining scam. If my family members are involved in illegal mining, action should be initiated against them. The Justice M.B. Shah Commission has favoured a CBI probe. The Odisha government should agree to the CBI investigation of the scam.

lYou are one of the star campaigners of the Congress. But, your younger brother Soumya Ranjan Patnaik has floated the Ama Odisha Party and fielded candidates. Has not this created problem for you?

I do have love and affection for him (Soumya) as an elder brother ... But let me make it clear that he has been in active politics for over a decade. Earlier, he was in another party (BJP) and I was in the Congress. There was no problem at that moment. Why should there be any problem this time? There have been many instances in a family where family members are fighting against each other from different platforms.

Earlier, Soumya had been in the Congress, but he left as he felt injustice was being meted out to him. What can I do? In Odisha, one can find many such examples.

How do you describe your opponent Naveen babu?

Naveen babu has no principles and ethics. We have seen what has happened in the past one month when he roped in people from various parties shamelessly… Later, he humiliated them by denying tickets. He did all such things to break the ranks of the Opposition ... to remain in power. He can go to any extent to capture power.

Who will you rate as the best chief minister of Odisha?

Nabakrushna Choudhury was the most honest chief minister. Many others have indulged in false propaganda by blowing their own trumpets and installing their statues. But, there was no honesty in them. Can Naveen (Patnaik) vouch that he is free from corruption? Is his party not exploiting the people? They are well aware of what they are doing. People also know what they are up to.

You have been in politics for over three decades. Can you tell us how much one had to spend to win an election in the early 80s?

The expenditure in Assembly polls would not be more than Rs 20,000 at that time. When I had won the election for the first time in 1980, the expenditure was less than Rs 20,000. But nowadays, I have heard that the election expenditure crosses crores. But compared to other states, the poll expenditure in our state is quite less.