Bhubaneswar, June 1: BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to go for an organisational revamp in the party and also effect a cabinet rejig to get a firm grip on the party apparatus.
Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, who had led the failed coup, has been apparently running the organisation since his official entry into politics in 2003. Known as a master strategist, he had a prominent role in selection of party candidates in the elections and had been managing the party affairs, though he was not holding any party post.
During his interaction with the party’s 110-odd MLAs and MPs in the morning, before deciding to suspend Mohapatra from the party, Naveen is believed to have come to the conclusion that his over-dependence on Mohapatra had led to the present crisis.
There is a growing impression within the party that Mohapatra became more powerful because the party leaders did not have direct access to the chief minister. It is for this reason alone that Mohapatra had publicly stated that the party organisation belonged to him and challenged the chief minister to take action against him. The impressive showing at the airport, where nearly 50,000 party workers and people turned up to receive him, has put the chief minister in aggressive mode.
Political observers feel that Naveen will effect a widespread change in the organisational set up to exercise full control over the party in absence of Mohapatra. He will now wield all powers in his hands and keep his trusted men in key positions to ensure that the party works as a monolith under his leadership.
Naveen may entrust a bigger role to vice-president Damodar Rout. It was Rout, who had first challenged the authority of Mohapatra as a “second power centre”. Rout, who was a minister, was sacked in May last year reportedly at the instance of Mohapatra. Rout had become the rallying point for Naveen loyalists when Mohapatra started collecting signatures from the MLAs in his now unsuccessful bid to dislodge Naveen. Some of the MLAs who had visited Mohapatra had alerted Rout of the “machinations” of Mohapatra. He had mobilised the loyalists to thwart Mohapatra’s attempts.
Party insiders say Naveen may also utilise the services of veteran leader and former minister Surendranath Nayak. Besides, he is likely to repose faith in Doon School mate and one of the founders of the party A.U. Singhdeo in running the party and veteran leader V. Sugyani Kumari Deo, who is loyal to the Biju family and enjoys clout in Naveen’s Ganjam district.
At the same time, Naveen may remove the party general secretaries, Jagneswar Baboo and Narendra Swain, who are known for their proximity to Mohapatra. Mohapatra had handpicked many district unit heads to run the organisation.
With four ministerial berths falling vacant (two ministers — Pradeep Maharathy and A.U. Singhdeo — had resigned earlier in the wake of the Pipili gangrape and Cuttack-Khurda hooch tragedy), Naveen may go for a cabinet rejig soon, believe political observers.
Naveen may induct two of his trusted men and former cabinet colleagues, Ranendra Pratap Swain and Bijoyshree Routray. Swain, who was allegedly victimised by Mohapatra, was recently elected in a by-election with a huge margin. Pyari had stayed away from the electoral campaign. Swain played a prominent role to mobilise crowds for the impromptu rally at the airport. On the other hand, Routray was one among the few who turned up at Naveen Nivas to express his support.
Naveen may reward some of loyalists such as Yuba BJD presidents Sanjay Dasburma, Ashok Panda, Subarna Naik, Purna Chandra Swain and Pradip Panigrahi, who played a role to foil the revolt against him.
The chief minister may also replace deputy speaker Sananda Marandi with one of his faithfuls. Marandi attended the meeting called by Mohapatra on May 29.
