Can new Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik revive party in state?

The appointment of Niranjan Patnaik, 78, as president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee just one year before the state faces simultaneous elections to assembly and Lok Sabha, should worry Bharatiya Janata Party more than the ruling Biju Janata Dal. Because, with Patnaik as the OPCC chief of the grand old party, cadres are jubilant. It may stop the shift of Congress votes to the BJP, as seen in the rural polls last year when the BJP emerged as the main rival of the BJD, pushing Congress to the third position.

It is the second term for Patnaik, a former minister, as the OPCC chief, having served from 2011 to 2013. He was removed just one year before the 2014 general elections. When Congress didn’t perform well in 2014 and could not win even a single Lok Sabha seat—a first for the party—political circles felt things would have been better if Patnaik was in charge. Of course, in the assembly, Congress remained the main opposition party.

The party lost power in Odisha in the 2000 assembly election after mismanaging the 1999 super cyclone, and since then, it has faced defeat in all other assembly elections. Once BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik entered Odisha politics after his father—former chief minister Biju Patnaik—died in 1997, Congress has lost five Lok Sabha and four assembly elections consecutively in the last two decades.

Though the demoralised Congress has been declining, it has remained the main opposition party against Naveen-led BJD till 2014. In 2014, in spite of the Narendra Modi wave, the Congress maintained the main opposition party status in assembly poll though it could not win a single Lok Sabha seat—of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, the BJD got 20 and BJP one. But, after the 2014 election, the BJP became more active in Odisha. With its government at the Centre, the BJP used its resources to take up the opposition space in the state, while the Congress was hit by the ‘cash crunch problem'—to quote its senior tribal MLA, Bhujabal Majhi.

In the 2017 three-tier zilla parishad election, which was held on party symbols, the BJP emerged as a strong second whereas Congress came a poor third. According to party’s former minister S.K. Matlub Ali, for the Congressmen in the state, the BJD was the main enemy. So, when they found their own party wanting, they supported the BJP to defeat the BJD. Though the PCC had a comparatively young and 'clean' president in Prasad Harichandan, partymen needed resources and aggressive leadership to face both the BJD and the BJP—one ruling in the state for last 18 years and other in power at the Centre for last four years. Besides, the BJP engaged its Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan to bolster its image in the state.

The BJP is a vibrant party in Odisha. Of course, it is yet to match the chief minister's charisma, as seen in last February’s byelection in Bijepur assembly constituency, followed by the urban body elections in Attabira and Hindol towns where the BJD won handsomely. The BJP was far behind the BJD in these elections and it changed the earlier perception that the saffron party could be a threat to the BJD in the 2019 election. BJP national president Amit Shah had earlier declared that the party hopes to get more than 120 seats of the 147 seats in the 2019 assembly election. The Congress came third.

But, Bijepur had been electing Congress MLAs since 2004 and both the urban bodies had gone to the Congress last time. Along with the decline in the fortunes of the party, exodus of leaders and workers also started. The party that had ruled the state for most number of years since independence, has seen its stalwarts deserting it. Recently, senior leader Chandrasekhar Sahu who was a minister in the first UPA government left the Congress and joined the BJD. In 2014, just before election, senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh, who was leader of opposition in assembly at that time, joined the BJD.

Even Niranjan Patnaik’s younger brother—media baron Soumyaranjan Patnaik—recently joined the BJD and became a Rajya Sabha MP. He is the son-in-law of former Odisha chief minister late J.B. Patnaik. The elder brother supported his move then, arguing that since the Congress did not give him his due he went over to the BJD. The younger Patnaik was a Congress MP in Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998. Though Patnaik and his supporters were lobbying to make him the OPCC president, AICC president Rahul Gandhi was hesitant. Maybe, Niranjan Patnaik’s name was tagged with late J.B. Patnaik’s controversial period. It would have meant the return of the Patnaik family to dominate Congress politics. But the main argument in favour of the former that he is resourceful because his family is in business and he can spend money for party. Besides,most senior leaders will accept him as they have no other choice.

Though many feel it is too late to revive the Congress before the next election, the party still has the advantage of traditional vote base. Its original share of 30 per cent votes is no more there. It has almost fallen by half because of non-activity. But optimists feel things can change with Patnaik at the helm of the party. Also, lately, all over country, Rahul Gandhi is drawing attention as people are getting disillusioned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

Besides, by making Patnaik OPCC chief, Rahul Gandhi has overhauled the Odisha team. Former Union minister Jitendra Singh has been appointed Odisha AICC in-charge in place of B.K.Hariprasad. Rudra Raju, ex-MLA, Andhra Pradesh, Anil Choudhry, ex-MLA, Delhi, Shaikh Mastan Vali, ex-MLA have been appointed AICC secretaries for Odisha, along with Aditya Sharma as joint secretary. In the new OPCC, three senior leaders have been made working presidents whereas other eight leaders have been assigned specific roles.

Patnaik has admitted that Congress’s position in the state has worsened. Though he does not have a “magic wand”, he said, he will try his best to strengthen the party in Odisha. “BJD and BJP should not think that Congress is fighting a losing battle. In fact, we will win the battle,” Patnaik said. His immediate priority is to get all Congressmen to work for the revival of the party, adding that he does not think the Congress is a divided house in Odisha.

Odisha BJP leader K.V. Singh Deo said the appointment won’t make any difference as the Congress with a new chief will be a ‘B-team of the ruling BJD”.

“Congress is already in third position and will continue to be so,” he said.

A revived Congress will ease BJD's tension as anti-BJD votes will be divided and the Congress votes will remain with the party.