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BJP battles for key posts in Patnaik ministry

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

The Sangh Parivar is trying to spread its hold over the east Indian state of Orissa.

This it hopes to achieve by pressurising Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik into giving the Bharatiya Janata Party important portfolios like culture, education, home, social welfare, and child and women development.

Sources in the state Sangh Parivar confirmed that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is keen on sharing power with the BJD mainly because it wants to influence the cultural, educational and other important policies of the government.

"The BJP is not a dominant partner in the [BJD-BJP] alliance. It has only 38 MLAs compared to the BJD's 68. The Sangh Parivar cannot influence the government .policies unless it commands important portfolios as per its agenda," sources pointed out.

Keeping this in view, the Sangh Parivar has made it clear to Patnaik that he should create the post of deputy chief minister for the BJP. This is widely seen as a move to bargain for portfolios.

It is the first time the Sangh Parivar has an opportunity to widen its base in Orissa and penetrate the government machinery. The BJD-BJP alliance secured two-thirds majority in the recently concluded assembly election.

It was in this backdrop that the Sangh Parivar bosses asked the BJP central leadership to invite Patnaik to Delhi to finalise the new ministry.

BJP's central observer for Orissa, Payare Lal Khandelwal, whose assignment is to watch over the alliance, has been camping in Bhubaneswar for the last one week, "informing the Sangh Parivar of every development in the alliance."

Orissa is a very important state for the Sangh Parivar in view of the large population of tribals, and the large scale activities of Christian missionaries in the tribal-dominated districts. In the last few years, the Sangh Parivar, with help from outfits like the Vanvasikalyan Ashram, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Jagran Sammukhya and Bajrang Dal, have made its presence felt in the state.

The Sangh Parivar had earlier attributed the murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons, and the killings of a Muslim trader and a Roman catholic priest in the tribal-dominated Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts to the growing tension between tribals and converted Christians.

"We will not allow the Christian missionaries to continue their operation in tribal-dominated districts and slowly convert them to Christianity," said state convenor of the Hindu Jagran Samukhya, Subhas Chauhan. There are over a 100 Christian missionaries operating in Orissa, he added.

Dara Singh, the main accused in the Staines killings, had categorically told that after his release he would restart his mission to stop the Christian missionaries from operating in the state.

Going by indications in the BJD camp, Patnaik is likely to take oath as chief minister on March 5. The date is significant as it is the birthday of Biju Patnaik, the BJD chief's legendary father.

Hectic lobbying is on among ministerial aspirants. Sources hinted that around 30 members would take oath with Patnaik. The names will be finalised after a joint meeting of the BJD and BJP legislature parties on Thursday or Friday, which will formally elect Patnaik as the alliance leader.

The BJP legislature will meet Wednesday to elect its leader. Sources say that Biswabhusan Harichandan would hold the post.

Three days ago, the BJD legislature party had elected Patnaik unanimously.

The BJD is expected to have two dozen ministers including the chief minister. Which means the BJP will be left with a dozen portfolios. The number of cabinet ministers from the BJD will not be more than 12. The BJP is likely to have half a dozen ministers in this category.

The BJP is evidently pressuring Patnaik into creating the post of deputy chief minister. Patnaik's statement in New Delhi that he has an open mind to the issue has given it some relief.

But the BJD camp is not happy with the remark. They argue that a deputy chief minister will give rise to a parallel power centre and hamper the smooth running of the government.

Interestingly, there is a strong group in the BJD which holds that Patnaik should have two deputy chief ministers to strike a balance between the allies.

The BJD has made it clear that key portfolios like water resources, home, general administration, revenue, panchayat raj, energy and steel and mines are non-negotiable. The other less important portfolios like agriculture and cooperation, commerce and transport, higher education, fisheries, food and consumer welfare, industries, labour and employment, public enterprises, culture, textiles and child and women development are likely to be divided between the partners.

The accommodation of senior BJD leaders is a major headache for Patnaik. There are more than 12 MLAs who have ministerial experience and expect to be taken in. Besides, a couple of freshers are also eyeing berths.

Most of the senior BJD leaders were ministers in the Biju Patnaik-led government from 1990 to 1995.

The case with the BJP is different. Most of its MLAs have no experience as ministers. But the BJP cannot ignore the claim of those who have been re-elected; their number is more than six.

"Ministerial aspirants in the BJP are more than a dozen," admitted BJP's central observer Payarelal Khandelwal.

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