You were considered a power centre in Balangir for a long time. In the presence of two powerful blue-blood leaders in the district now, where do you see yourself in the scheme of things?

Balangir was ruled by the Maharajas, and feudal thoughts still dominate the minds of the common people. Taking advantage of this, the family members of the ex-ruler still dominate Balangir politics. One is in the BJD (A.U. Singh Deo) and the other is in the BJP (K.V. Singh Deo).

It is clear that you are opposed to the royal family. You have also had certain differences with your brother-in-law, Balagopal Mishra (former MP and MLA). Has it ever occurred to you that had you joined hands with him, you would have been force to reckon with at present?

Two individuals joining hands does not make any difference in the overall political scenario. I don’t discuss my personal issues in public.

You must be happy that the state government has decided not go ahead with the proposed Sindol hydro-power project in western Orissa without taking the local people into confidence. But it was Congress leader J.B. Patnaik who had floated the idea.

Let’s not forget he withdrew from the project because of protests by the local people. I also stand by the people, as several villages will be submerged. But the irony here is that Naveen Patnaik, who was initially opposing it, has gone ahead by signing an MoU. He did not even respond when the local people asked him if the government had withdrawn from the project.

You were the first chairman of the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) which has been functioning from Bhubaneswar for over a decade now despite repeated demands to shift the headquarters to western Orissa. Which place would be ideal?

I don’t want to name one place and create a controversy. It is for the state to decide. As per rules, the headquarters was supposed to be shifted to western Orissa within six months of constituting the WODC. The government is incompetent and so, not been able to decide on a place. Make me the chief minister, I will resolve this issue within minutes.

You have worked with the late Biju Patnaik. Now, you are part of Naveen Patnaik’s enemy camp. How would you compare the two?

It would be a mistake to compare them. Biju Patnaik believed in democracy, hated communal and feudal forces and worked for the state’s development. He loved Orissa and Oriyas. Naveen is completely the opposite. He is the only chief minister who does not speak the language of his people.

But he has been elected as the chief minister for three consecutive terms.

He managed to be elected maybe through manipulation. Or maybe due to the “bad track record of the Opposition”. Even if he becomes the CM a dozen times, his character will not change. He is a dishonest leader.

The relatives of a senior Congress leader are allegedly involved in the mining scam. Is your party free from corruption?

The relatives are not Congress members. I would like to know which Congress leader has taken a mining lease in the state. The government is not ready for a CBI inquiry into the scam and wants the state vigilance to investigate, so that they won’t be exposed. Naveen Patnaik has passed defective laws relating to taxes on mineral bearing lands to protect interests of mine owners. The state exchequer has lost Rs 9,100 crore in the last seven years because of this. The mining scam is worth Rs 3 lakh crore.

You started as a CPI member and continued there for 35 years before moving to the Janata Dal (JD) and now to the Congress. Why?

I contested the 1993 elections on a JD ticket without resigning from the CPI. This was possible because of an understanding between the CPI leadership and the state unit of JD. I was elected and stayed on till 2000. Four years later, I moved to the Congress because I believe it is the only party which can defeat communal forces.

You are known to be very straightforward and candid in voicing your opinions. Do you feel comfortable in your present party, especially since there is so much difference of opinion among the members?

Difference of opinion is bound to exist unless the party believes in dictatorship. There were differences within the Indian National Congress in the pre-Independence era and they exist even now. At times, the differences become personal and this harms the party.

As law minister, you were associated with a woman named Pratima Devi. Could you tell us about her?

I don’t think I need to discuss my personal life unless it affects my functioning as a public figure. It is no one’s business how many sisters or girlfriends I had or have.

A legal eagle

Known for his legal acumen, 70-year-old Narasingha Mishra is a senior leader of the Congress party.

He was elected to the state legislative Assembly for the first time in 1990 from Loisingha constituency of Balangir district and held the portfolio of law minister. Mishra was also the deputy leader of the Congress Legislature Party from 2004 to 2009.

Born into a political family, Mishra entered politics when he was just 18 and joined the Communist Party of India. He continued in the same party till 1993. In this capacity, he held various important posts in the party and led several agitations.

He completed his graduation from the Khalikote College in Berhampur and studied law at the M.S. Law College, Cuttack. Mishra has also had a successful career as a lawyer and one of his noteworthy achievements was the Orissa High Court directive to the state government for direct procurement of paddy from farmers.

As law minister, he piloted the Special Courts Bill, which aimed to fight corruption at high places. However, Mishra feels the Bill has not achieved the desired results and has been “sabotaged by successive governments” in the state.

He was the first chairman of the Western Orissa Development Council, which was established by the state for the development of backward regions of western Orissa. He also initiated the establishment of a medical college and hospital in Balangir.

What would you have been had you not been a politician?

I was a lawyer by profession. I used to take up cases which concerned women and people belonging to the less privileged sections of society.

I never used to take a single penny from them. But before starting legal practice, I had joined politics. I became a member of the Communist Party of India by the time I turned 18. In fact, since childhood,

I was always inclined towards politics. It is in my blood. My father was a freedom fighter and also a member of the Constituent Assembly. So, it was more or less natural that I enter this field.