Jual Oram worried

Instead of boosting its morale, L.K. Advani’s Jan Chetana Yatra has left the state BJP in a shambles. The senior patriarch’s refusal to take on chief minister Naveen Patnaik on the corruption issue has thoroughly demoralised the rank and file. Even senior leaders are finding his attitude hard to explain. The most worried is state president Jual Oram, who has on his hands the task of maintaining the party’s anti-Patnaik line while shielding Advani from the barbs of state leaders. This, despite the fact that Oram is quite upset about Advani’s intriguing silence on the plethora of corruption charges against Naveen.

Jual Oram worried

Ruling Biju Janata Dal number two, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, was quick to sense the confusion in the state BJP ranks following L.K. Advani’s silence on the opposition charges against chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Like a clever politician, he sought to capitalise on it with a statement, which appeared to imply that he did not treat BJP as untouchable despite the collapse of the decade old alliance between the two parties in 2009. Apparently referring to Advani’s campaign against the graft, Mohapatra described the people fighting corruption as friends. The statement has left the state BJP leaders, opposed to the idea of an alliance, fuming though Advani himself did not rule out the possibility of a patch-up between the two parties during his yatra.

Fresh criticism

While public uproar over flood relief mismanagement is yet to subside, revenue and disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patro is facing fresh criticism from the 1999 supercyclone victims, who are yet to receive compensation against deaths in their families. Dismissing the official argument that delay in disbursing compensation in some cases was on account of the complicated procedure and paper work involved, they have attributed it to the apathy of the babus dealing with the issue. The apathy, according to impartial observers, may cost the government dear at the hustings.

People’s ire

Balangir MP Kalikesh Singhdeo got a taste of the people ’s ire when he visited the flood-hit areas of Sonepur sometime ago. The people obviously felt that the BJD government had not done its bit for them and Singhdeo being the ruling party’s representative was equally responsible. Sources close to the MP said that since the Sonepur incident, Kalikesh has taken steps to refurbish his image and win back people’s confidence. The fact that this scion of Balangir royal family is generally a friendly and affable person has also helped his cause.

Assault

State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik is reportedly getting ready to launch a fresh assault on the Naveen Patnaik government. This time he is likely to pick up the issue of BJD government disbursing cash under schemes such as free bicycles for Class X girls across the state. Sources said that Patnaik, an old war horse, has asked cadres in all districts to get ready for a state-wide agitation against the government’s move which, the Congress feels, is aimed at influencing the voters ahead of the panchayat polls. “For the Congress, this would be the best strategy to outsmart the ruling party in the upcoming elections,” said a party leader.

Mature son

Finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei is quietly grooming his son and Korei MLA Preetiranjan Ghadei as his political successor. Sources close to the finance minister say that the young man is shaping up well, having learnt the political ropes rather quickly. At present, Preetiranjan is also looks after his father’s mineral-rich constituency, Sukinda where there is cut-throat competition among labour unions. The young MLA knows almost all the important union leaders in the area and is also said to have developed a rapport with the corporate houses doing business in Sukinda.