Being the BJD returning officer, do you think the party is a democratic body as all 32 district unit presidents were nominated without facing any election?

Yes. Election is important but consensus is the final form of democracy. We have been successful in nominating all district presidents on a consensus while other parties have failed to do so.

Is it true that many newly elected BJD district unit presidents, who were once close to expelled BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, would not be given Assembly tickets on the plea that they have to look after party activities?

These are just rumours. However, the party will certainly not give tickets to leaders, who do not enjoy public support or do not toe the party line.

However, there is a perception that only one man, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, is calling the shots in the BJD. Do you agree?

One-man leadership might be there in BJD but that does not necessarily mean that autocracy prevails in the party. He is out-and-out a democratic leader and is acting on his conscience. But we have seen how democracy has failed in a multi-leader party where squabbles take place on a daily basis.

Your name always does the rounds whenever there is talk of ministerial expansion. Do you think you lack what it takes to be a minister and that your present responsibility is just a consolation award?

I don’t think I have any shortcomings. All leaders from Cuttack district, like me, have that ministerial element in them. That is a boon as well as a curse because the chief minister has to be fair while forming his ministry and consider many factors like region, religion, caste and gender.

You are responsible for floor management in the state Assembly. But you drew criticism in the last Assembly session for initiating a motion for the suspension of senior Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja, who allegedly passed objectionable remarks against Speaker Pradip Amat. Do you regret what you did?

I do. Being the chief whip, I moved the motion as the situation demanded that. But I am sorry for moving the resolution. I have apologised to Saluja. The Assembly can run smoothly if both the Opposition and ruling party understand their roles and act accordingly.

How would you react to the Opposition’s allegations that the Speaker is acting at the behest of the ruling BJD?

How is it possible? If you make an hour wise analysis of the 14th Assembly business proceedings, the Opposition has consumed 70 per cent of the discussion time. If you think he is acting as a BJD agent, I don’t think. So, I should not make any comments.

Who has been the best Speaker so far?

The best that I have seen are Prasanna Das, Yuddhistir Das and Sarat Kar. But Pradip Amat is not bad. I did not include him in my rating as he is the current Speaker. He can be equated as a good Speaker. Among legislators, Banka Bihar Das, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Ashok Das, Sarat Deb, Bijay Mohapatra and Ramkrsushna Patnaik are some of the best.

Cuttack will play host to women’s cricket World Cup matches, including those of Pakistan’s. While Cuttack MP from BJD Bhartruhari Mahtab is opposed to it due to the LoC tension, the chief minister has assured all support for conducting the tournament. Isn’t the BJD divided on this issue?

The party has not yet taken a stand on this issue. When the government of India has issued Visa to the Pakistani players, the state government has to make appropriate arrangements for their security. As the head of the state, the chief minister has to provide all support.

Are you opposed to Pakistan playing here?

I think the Centre should cancel their Visa. They should not be allowed to play anywhere in this country unless the border tension eases. The Odisha Cricket Association should not have accepted the BCCI’s proposal to host the match.

Do you agree with the view that Officers’ Raj prevails in Odisha and that babus are superseding ministers?

That is a nationwide trend. Executive activism has increased over the years. The legislators and the bureaucrats should stay within their limits.

Pyari Mohan Mohapatra is expected to make his outfit, Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM), into a full-fledged political party by April. Do you think it’ll emerge as a threat to BJD?

Whoever wishes to leave BJD is free to do so. They will never win elections on an OJM ticket. Rather, you will see the party struggle for survival. Naveen babu is so popular that defeating him is next to impossible. Pyari babu lacks that charisma.

Cool & articulate

Pravat Kumar Tripathy, 59, is the government chief whip and BJD’s election returning officer. He represents Banki constituency

Tripathy, who hails from Cuttack, completed graduation from the Bhadrak College, where he took part in many political activities as a student leader. He was even arrested once and jailed for six months. After this, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in law from the Madhusudan Law College, Cuttack

He contested the Cuttack municipality elections in 1978 and became a councillor. He was elected to the Odisha legislative Assembly for the first time in 1995 from Banki on a Janata Dal ticket. Thereafter, he won the seat as a BJD candidate in 2000 and then in 2009

He assumed the responsibility of government chief whip last August and was in the news for moving a motion for suspension of Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja for his alleged objectionable remarks against Speaker Pradip Amat

He successfully conducted the district organisational elections last December

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN HAD YOU NOT BEEN A POLITICIAN?

I would have been a lawyer. When I was doing graduation at Bhadrak College, National Emergency was declared. I was the leader of my college, having affiliation to a non-Congress students’ front, and participated in student movements. Following some false allegations, I, along with some others, was arrested. While pursuing law, I contested for the Cuttack municipality elections and won it. After that there was no looking back for me.