By D.N. Singh
War of words between Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi getting explosive and interesting as well politically. When on Tuesday the PM jibed at Patnaik through a warning of sort saying that the days of Naveen Patnaik in Odisha are going to be over soon and the latter must open his eyes to the reality,
Patnaik was far from rebutting through any such caustic diatribe, has said today at public meeting in Balasore district that, he does not mind such words from the Prime Minister. Rather a composed and poised Patnaik took recourse to humbleness and returned it to the PM through a gentle one-liner. Patnaik said that, the PM stands ‘invited to the swearing in ceremony of the BJD government’ on the appointed day !
A statement or prophesy, coming, as it did, from none other than the BJD supremo, Patnaik himself ,when he faces a climate of opposition from all and from the Bharatiya Janaata Party in particular, it does imply that the ruling party in Odisha has already, may be, felt the pulses of the people after the thirds phase polling to make such a soft yet bold posturing.
Technically, it may be hypothetical, but an incumbent chief minister’s such a claim with so much of certitude, pending another phase of polling, can’t rest on the premises of an ordinary conjecture or self-generated euphoria.
Or such a soft yet disarming stance from the chief minister may have some basis or political reasoning behind barely a month away from the day of swearing in of whichever party making it to the victory stand.
Looking back to the chronology of events, when Patnaik usually chose a noncommittal stance over number games apart from his government’s commitment for people of Odisha, for the first time Patnaik to showcase the strength of his party, nearly played a mind game to defuse the Prime Minister’s taunts made from Kendrapada rallyasking Naveen to count his days as the CM.
