Samikhsya Bureau
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s political animosity with Bijoy Mohapatra has remained as a grain for political analysts. And all of them seemed to have been squarely unanimous that it was a discord which overshot its time and Patnaik may reconcile with the fact that, it has been enough and lets bury the hatchet.
But that did not happen, in essence. The rivalry, as it did, continued and the old wrath refused to die. The chief minister made a two day sojourn for the Patkura campaign creating an impulse among many that that latter would breath fire and brimstones during campaign as was seen when he was in Kendrapada during the last election campaigning against the BJP Lok sabha candidate Bijayant Panda. His tirades against Panda were so pronounced beforehand and there also.
The general perception was that Patnaik had clubbed Panda and Mohapatra as his main enemies who required befitting smashes.
However, the campaign climate in Patkura , more or less, wore a festive look with two rivals BJD and the BJP, stepping up the momentums with mutual caution not to overstep the limit drawn by the top leaderships.
Even, what makes many to wonder at the changed tone and tenor of the BJD supremo’s campaign which neither had the forthrightness and the acerbic against Mohapatra or the BJP or Modi usually expected in an atmosphere made so surcharged by media hype. It left many look in askance as the chief minister limiting his appeal to vote for Sabitri Agarwal, the BJD candidate there.
There were no mention of either Centre, Modi or not even Bijoy Mohapatra, the person who has been singeing under his rancour for last two decades. That leaves many guessing ! Whether it a Freudian slip or an intended gesture of goodwill for Modi.
