After 10-month long Covid-19 isolation, Naveen Patnaik holds 1st public meet

For Thursday’s meeting in Kalahandi, 2500 people were allowed into a barricaded area after they tested negative for Covid-19.

Published on: Jan 14, 2021, 23:53:19 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Ahead of civic polls this year and panchayat polls next year, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday broke his 10-month-long Covid-19 isolation as he addressed a meeting in Kalahandi calling it a model of development for the entire country.

Political analysts said chief minister Naveen Patnaik's visit to Kalahandi amid the Covid-19 pandemic was a signal that the party is desperate to rebuild its base in western Odisha that has come under siege from BJP. (FILE PHOTO).

“Some people were trying to turn Kalahandi into a laboratory of poverty, but the concerted efforts of my government have turned it into a development model for the entire country. It has turned into the rice bowl. Farmers of Kalahandi are now providing food to the nation,” said Patnaik at his first-ever post-Covid-19 public meeting in Kalahandi district where he inaugurated a 43-km long lift irrigation canal. The canal will irrigate over 25,000 hectares of farmland in 38 gram panchayats from Upper Indravati project. Patnaik also announced development projects worth ₹2085 crore.

Recounting the experience of his late father and former chief minister Biju Patnaik in Kalahandi, he said Biju Patnaik had visited Bhawanipatna in the 1990s when he was hurled stones at the Statue Chhak.

“But, he was least bothered about it as he immensely loved Kalahandi and always dreamt of its development and prosperity. People of Kalahandi love me a lot and I also love them. I will work 10 times more for the development of Kalahandi in comparison to the drops of blood I have shed in Kalahandi,” he said.

For Thursday’s meeting 2500 people were allowed into a barricaded area after they tested negative for Covid-19. However, leader of opposition in the Odisha Assembly and BJP’s Bhawanipatna MLA Pradipta Naik boycotted the meeting protesting erection of a separate stage for the chief minister.

“A separate special stage has been set for the Chief Minister while another stage has been constructed for other leaders. Then why did we undergo a Covid-19 test? Even after being diagnosed Covid-19 negative, we were not allowed to share the stage with the CM in today’s mega event in Kalahandi district. This is a clear sign of the feudal system in a democracy. Even though it is completely a government programme, the chief minister has organised the event on his party lines” said Naik, alleging that despite the canal being built with 90% central funds, the state government was claiming sole credit for the projects.

BJP MP from Kalahandi Basant Panda welcomed the launch of a slew of development projects on Thursday. While refusing to comment on the boycott of the meet by Odisha Assembly LoP, Panda said, “We support the development of Kalahandi. But the state government should also clear land requirements for the wagon factory in Narla and medical college at Kalahandi.”

Political analysts said the chief minister's visit to Kalahandi amid the Covid-19 pandemic was a signal that the party is desperate to rebuild its base in western Odisha that has come under siege from BJP. For Thursday’s meeting, the party had sent 69 of its MLAs and ministers to arrange crowds in 38 gram panchayats where farmlands would be irrigated by the Indravati waters.

Maheswar Duriya, assistant professor of political science in the government autonomous college in Bhawanipatna, said the ruling party is making a concerted attempt to mount a challenge to the rising BJP. “In 2017 panchayat polls, BJP won 33 of the 36 Zillah Parishad seats while in 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, it won the MP seat and the Bhawanipatna assembly seat. Though BJD won more number of MLA seats in Kalahandi, its popularity has gone down considerably due to the image of its local leaders. I think BJD will hold more such meetings of Patnaik in western Odisha to check BJP's support base,” said Duriya.

Rabi Das, another political analyst, said Patnaik is well aware of BJP's plan to mount a serious challenge to BJD's rule after the Bengal assembly polls are over in April. “The CM knows BJP will not wait till 2024 for a chance to win Odisha. It's natural for Patnaik to keep BJP engaged in western Odisha and win back its voters,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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