By D.N. Singh
The series of role reversals in Odisha politics before the last elections has miserably failed to produce the dividends that the Bharatiya Janata Party in Odisha was looking for. All the prominent among them, who came from the Biju Janata Dal, have not only failed to prove their mettle they were trumpeting about, but they have now become liabilities for the saffron party.
During the joining carnival the BJP had high hopes to challenge the charisma of the BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, resting its hopes on leaders like Baijayant Panda, Damodar Rout, Kharvela Swain, Balbhadra Majhi and few others, who had frog-leaped into the saffron camp one by one. The BJP too had high hopes that they would bring the required respite for the party, at least in the Lok Sabha.
But, the remedy became worse than the disease and all of them have not only failed but their credibility as political leaders nosedived and they have left nothing worth the nostalgia. Today few of them can be occasionally seen sitting like lame ducks at few gatherings or events of the party looking for some relevance.
Among the hounding Samaritans, Baijayant Panda and Dr. Damodar Rout, who hogged maximum limelight by their bragging to teach Patnaik a lesson, ultimately emerged the most prominent among losers.
However, Dr. Rout who was rendered helpless by Naveen’s masterstroke of fielding his son Sambit Routray in Paradeep assembly seat, showed enough signs of a reluctant politician to ensure his son’s win. Which left Rout torn between diligence and emotion for his son. And the latter remained paramount for Rout.
And the ones within the BJP those who were left with the lesser political capital to their credit and lesser media hype too, proved as the only assets. For example, Suresh Pujari, who won the Bargarh Lok Sabha seat despite Naveen Patnaik’s blistering campaign there, was counted among the possible losers by certain media surveys. So was Pratap Sarangi, who crushed his wealthy opponents in Balasore Lok Sabha contest, also listed among the shaky contenders.
The BJP has reasons to be happy, in the hindsight that their own candidates fared better than the paratroopers. Aparajita Sarangi, who won the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat by handling her strategies almost single-handedly, deserves a pat.
The victories achieved by Sangeeta Singh Deo from Balangir, Jual Oram from Sundergarh or Basant Panda who surprised many by his victory from Kalahandi, their success must bring a realisation among the saffron think-tanks that, a good cadre requires dedication not transitional time pass.
