Naveen Patnaik loses grip, fails to take action against ‘tainted’ ministers

Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s apparent inability to act against his “tainted” ministers and MLAs has greatly lowered his public image, giving a handle to the Opposition to further corner him in the state politics.

Despite the expose of his ministerial colleagues and party MLAs’ links with land and mining mafia; habitual criminals and chit fund scam accused, Mr Patnaik has not been able to take any action against them. His helplessness has led to the speculation that the CM is steadily losing his grip over the party’s organisational affairs.

The chief minister, who is also the president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), was expected to sideline some of the young ministers who were protégés of his advisor-turned-enemy Pyarimohan Mohapatra. However, surprisingly, he continues to give importance to those young men who are holding plump portfolios in his council of ministers. This has surprised his own loyalists who feel deprived and dejected.

Young ministers like Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Arun Kumar Sahoo, Sanjaya Das Burma, Puspendra Singhdeo — who grew under the wings of Pyarimohan Mohapatra between 2000 and 2012 before the latter was shunted out the party on the charge of making a coup bid — have courted controversies on many occasions.

Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak was perceived in his own party circles as one of the persons who assisted Pyarimohan in the May 29, 2012 coup bid. After lying low for quite some days, he overcame the coup bid links stigma and is now seen as one of the most trusted lieutenants of the chief minister. He is holding the all-important health and family welfare ministry.

Atanu and Puspendra Singhdeo, who holds the urban development portfolio, also faced horse-trading charge in the 2011 Rajya Sabha polls.

The most controversial leader, Arun Kumar Sahoo, who embarrassed the party for mismanagement of Navakalevar festival of Lord Jagannath and currently faces allegation of extending patronage to Motilal Gouda, a government employee who made huge money by misusing his official position, still enjoys his fleshy panchayati raj portfolio along with the law ministry.

Sanjaya Das Burma, whose name has figured in the multi-crore chit fund scam, appears to have firmly shielded himself any action against him because of the strong support base he created among the party lawmakers. Mr Das Burma, along with his mentor and former Rajya Sabha member Kalpataru Das, had played a crucial role in selection of party candidates for the 2014 Assembly polls. With the passing away of Kalpataru Das in 2015, he now enjoys complete support of the young MLAs.

Analysts say any action by Mr Patnaik against these young ministers would boomerang as they might raise a banner of revolt that would help the Opposition BJP and the Congress to seize the occasion.