Samikhsya Bureau
The obvious has happened. The virtual friendly contest between the Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party ( not Bijoy Mohapatra) has sprung no surprise. The BJD has romped back home and Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister has been able to see his candidate Sabitri Agarwal defeat her rival decisively in Patkura.
In this complex game of politicking the biggest loser is Mohapatra, whose last ditch effort to re-carve a niche in politics has failed once again in Patkura, an assembly segment which once used to be synonymous with Bijoy Mohapatra.
One does not required to be a student of psephology to make out that Mohapatra has committed a slew of tactical errors since years by taking recourse in indecisive politics. It is not that he has changed parties in the face of a fiery opposition from the BJD but, his entry, exit and re-entry into the BJP has surely drained him off his political relevance.
His recent attempt to win the Patkura assembly seat was clouded in a mist of suspense allegedly generated from within the party he was representing. What came to the fore that, in Patkura, Mohapatra appeared more like a greasy wrapper stuck on a ground, fluttering in the winds of uncertainties ! What added to his problem is not the contest from the BJD but, the covert designs from within the BJP which never demonstrated a sincere and coherent togetherness to help his candidature. Rather the entire cadre in the BJP was more busy in pointing what BJD was doing.
In the field and in television debates, it was the stereotyped hyperboles from the saffron leaders coaxing the chief minister for deploying all his political resources to see his candidate win. Why didn’t the BJP got a bit serious like BJD to battle it out than peeping at the enemy bench.
Now, the game is over and the bigger question is ,what option is left for Mohapatra. Some political observers foresee, or even advise, that it is time Mohapatra should hang his gloves and take ‘sanyas’ from politics.
They might have their own perception but ,in politics, it has been always noticed that there is no wilderness which can limit the wings of a politician from flying till a destination crystalize. There had been many instances in politics when leaders in politics sport the resilience to recover from the states of political comatose and reaffirm their footing in politics.
That leaves Mphapatra with the option to cultivate his own brand of politics among the people rather than get swayed by tall talks by his so called friends in politics and even some friendly journalists, who try to shoot him to the orbit by describing him as a political Frakenstein for Naveen Patnaik.
