Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha, is contesting elections after 15 years. Sambalpur goes to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase and Pradhan is in the midst of a hectic electoral campaign. Elections for the Odisha assembly and Lok Sabha polls are taking place simultaneously. Pradhan spoke to HT’s Debrabrata Mohanty about the BJP’s poll plank and his party’s prospects. Edited excerpts from the interview:
How do you see chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s decision to contest from the western Odisha assembly constituency of Kantabanji affecting the BJP’s, as well as your prospects?
Naveen Patnaik contesting from Kantabanji is a gimmick. After winning Bijepur, he resigned and retained Hinjili. Forget Bijepur, did Bargarh district see any overall development? During the 2019 elections, he had said he would personally take charge of Bijepur’s development. He also named a minister from the district, but no significant progress took place. Tribals, OBCs (other backward classes), Dalits and farmers are not the priority of the Naveen Patnaik government.
Now, look at Kantabanji. It is a major centre of labour migration in western Odisha. His government has been in power for 24 years (in the state); yet, labour migration continues unabated. What is the drinking water availability scenario in Bolangir? The CM’s own constituency Hinjili is also a major centre for labour migration. It seems he has come to Kantabanji to showcase the migration of labourers. What is the situation of vacancies of doctors in government hospitals in the district? What is the situation in western Odisha, and Odisha overall? What is the situation of drinking water, health facilities and education?
Elections should not be personality oriented; rather, they should be based on issues. Before he files his nomination from Kantabanji, the chief minister should give a clarification on what he has done on these issues. His credibility can be established only when he clarifies on these issues. In the past 24 years, he fooled and failed Odia people. His credibility is at the lowest this time.
{{/usCountry}}Elections should not be personality oriented; rather, they should be based on issues. Before he files his nomination from Kantabanji, the chief minister should give a clarification on what he has done on these issues. His credibility can be established only when he clarifies on these issues. In the past 24 years, he fooled and failed Odia people. His credibility is at the lowest this time.
{{/usCountry}}You recently spoke about your party’s decision of making Odia asmita (pride) a major poll plank. Can you elaborate?
When we talk of Odia asmita, it means the government’s failure in bringing development for people at large despite being in power for long. What is there to be proud of when thousands of people from chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s constituency of Hinjili are forced to migrate to Gujarat for their livelihoods? When we talk of Odia asmita, it means protecting the interest of tribals and not taking a cabinet decision that allows the sale of tribal land to non-tribals. The BJD (Biju Janata Dal) is a party which could not find an Odia person to lead them, so a non-Odia bureaucrat (referring to V Karthikeyan Pandian) takes all major decisions. We would go to people detailing how the state has been appropriated by non-Odia sections.
What are the other issues you, besides Odia asmita, to counter the BJD?
There are several issues, such as lack of employment, drinking water crisis, failure in agriculture, deterioration in education sector and worsening law and order. The government has failed everyone from farmers to students. There is widespread resentment across the state against the government.
One of the major criticisms of the BJP in Odisha has been lack of a chief ministerial face to counter Naveen Patnaik? Will you have a chief ministerial face this time? Will you be the chief ministerial face?
Ours is not a regional party like the BJD. We are fighting the elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is extremely popular, and so the lack of chief ministerial face is not a problem. We haven’t decided who will be the chief minister. We will fight with a collective leadership approach and the question of who becomes chief minister is something the party will answer.
Is your party confident of forming the government in Odisha?
We will win all 21 Lok Sabha seats in this election. We will also form the government in Odisha with absolute majority. There is no doubt about that.