• Your party announced to launch Save Mahanadi Campaign from May 16. A number of preparatory meetings are on but you have not been invited ...

Mahanadi is not a new issue. Last year, I had held meetings on the issue and even the party had sent sympathisers to the meeting. Many meetings on the issue are being organised now. But the leaders are not inviting me. What can I do ? I had spoken to Prasanna Acharya on the issue as to why I had not been invited. Perhaps, they are more knowledgeable on the subject. But the fact remains that Mahanadi originates from Amarkantak and flows through a large swathe of land before meeting the Bay of Bengal passing through Kujanga. Kujanga spreads from Mahanadi mouth to Debi mouth supported by another four mouths. Nearly 95 per cent of Mahanadi water is released to the sea through these mouths. I have grown up seeing the Mahanadi. But during the recently concluded Assembly session which debated Mahanadi issue for four hours, I was not allowed to speak for a single minute. But those people who had taken part in the discussion have little knowledge about Mahanadi, its course and how gradually it has changed over years.

• But how do you know that others have little knowledge?

I am not casting aspersions. Do they have any idea about the Great Famine of 1866 that killed more than a million in the undivided Cuttack district? That year, the rainfall was erratic and Mahanadi, which then had no embankments, ran dry resulting in a severe drought that continued for three years. The then commissioner of undivided Cuttack district, Ravenshaw saheb, had admitted that the situation had turned worse as he believed the misleading report of his officers that there was enough stock of food grain. But the practice of relying on officers is still on. Ravenshaw saheb had also initiated steps to build a barrage on the river at Jobra and four canals - Taladanda, Patamundai, Machhagaon and Kendrapara - to support agriculture. People should know these things.

• Have things changed over the years as far as Mahanadi is concerned?

Chhattisgarh has already constructed six barrages in the upstream of Mahanadi. What happens to Odisha if there is a sudden rain in the upper catchment area of Mahanadi and Chhattisgarh releases water from its barrages? Hirakud reservoir has a maximum carrying capacity of 630 feet only. The reservoir will collapse, causing a disaster in the lower catchments. At the same time, now they are not releasing water, creating a serious situation. As a result, the areas depending on the Mahanadi for drinking water are facing a hard time. Chhattisgarh has also planned to set up chemical industries on the upper catchments and then they will discharge effluents to Mahanadi and it would have its repercussion on the eco-system.

• The government fought a legal battle and has been able to force the Centre to set up a tribunal. Now, the BJD is launching the Save Mahanadi campaign to sensitise public on the issue...

I still wonder about the objectives of Save Mahanadi campaign. The objective should not always be to fetch votes. One must know that we are not a state like Gujarat which receives scanty rainfall. In the downstream of the Hirakud, we receive 1482mm rainfall. But all the water goes waste. We should think of constructing more barrages. But we are not doing that. Frequent droughts are taking place and farmers are being badly hit. We should visualise all these things and should not be confined to making propaganda only. In total violation of rules, Chhattisgarh government has constructed the barrages. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his tacit support to Chhattisgarh, ruled by the BJP. If you just go on doing propaganda on this issue, how does it matter to Chhattisgarh? We must educate the people. We must place before them what will be the real outcome of the campaign. We must think whether it will solve our problem.

• But why are you raising all these issues now? Why did you not raise the issue when you were a powerful minister?

What was the media, known as fourth pillar, doing then? I am a senior party man and was drafted into politics by Biju babu. For me, the party is bigger than any individual. Being a loyal party member, how can I tell you whether I have raised the issue or not at party forums?

• Even though the party has not invited you, it is in touch with your son and had also invited him to attend the district review meeting...

My son cannot do any wrong. The party has nominated him as secretary, but that does not mean that he will represent me in the Assembly. They had invited all the four MLAs of the district to the district review meeting except me. Many activists, including my son, also attended the meeting. But how can he represent me ?

• There is a talk that your son will replace you and the party will give him the ticket...

That will be decided by the people of my constituency. No imposition will be tolerated. The imposition is done in the case where the leader is meek. Even after 22 years of Biju babu's demise, we fetch votes in his name as people love him. Similar situation prevails in my constituency where people like me. On the other hand, do you believe that my son will accept the ticket if they deny it to me and try to surpass me? Politics is a different issue. But, no one can succeed in creating a rift between father and son.

• Will you contest in the 2019 election?

Who knows? But no other candidate will win the seat except me. If the party tries to project my son without my consent, he will not agree. Besides, the people will also not vote for him without my backing.

• We are noticing a resurgent Congress with the appointment of a new OPCC president. How do you see the BJD's future ?

The BJD, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, will certainly form the next government. With the rise of Congress and because of the anti-incumbency factor, we may lose some seats . We can not get 117 seats that we have now. But our number will be certainly around 90.

• Now people from various sections of society are joining the BJD and getting Rajya Sabha seats...

Indian democracy stands on the foundation of sacrifice and service. But after 70 years, things appear to be going in the reverse gear. Opportunists are joining politics for power and money. If there is no ideological commitment what will be the fate of democracy? Those people who had criticised Naveen Patnaik for the last 17 years saying that he does not know Odia, suddenly joined the party and got the Rajya Sabha seat. It is up to the people to judge.

• Don't you think that injustice has been done to you

What's your view? Don't you see it? But I still hope that my leader Naveen Patnaik will realise that justice has been denied to me.

• Why did your party lose the election in 1995 even though Biju babu was at the peak of his popularity?

Many rebel candidates had contested. We had lost 27 Assembly seats by a margin of 500 to 1000 votes.

• Don't you think that the same thing will happen again in 2019 elections?

Who can say? I am not an astrologer. We had 123 seats in the 147-member Assembly in 1995. Could anyone even imagine that we would be reduced to 46 seats? The defeat came as a shock to Biju babu.