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STATES: ORISSA
Fire Power
The chief minister suddenly sacks three of his cabinet
members and proves who is boss
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PLEASE GO: Naveen was firm with (from left) Mohanty and Das
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Like many others
in the state secretariat on July 9, senior Orissa minister Nalini Kanta
Mohanty speculated about the sudden tightening of security around Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik's office a floor above his. But nothing prepared
him for what followed: a terse five-line communiqué from the Chief
Minister's Office saying that he, along with health minister Kamala Das
and rural development cum higher education minister Prasanta Nanda had
been dropped from the Cabinet. Mohanty, an MLA for two decades, the working
president of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and second only to Naveen
in the party hierarchy, was caught off guard.
Naveen has earlier meted out similar treatment
to Union ministers Dilip Ray and Bijoy Mohapatra. His explanation this
time was simple: "All three had come under the shadow of corruption,
necessitating the drastic step." Though he has personally remained
above board, accusations that his ministers were corrupt were getting
shriller by the day. By dropping the ministers on grounds of corruption,
Naveen has bolstered his public image. His Government is not exactly delivering
but he can now at least claim credit for trying to bring about transparency.
It was not difficult to zero in on either Das
or Nanda, who is from the BJP. The departments they ran reeked of corruption.
Mohanty is an altogether different kettle of fish. Amiable and accessible,
he has never been known to be more dishonest than other regular politicians.
While vigilance cases have been filed against all three and investigations
are on, there is muted speculation that Naveen has chosen to do away with
Mohanty since he aspired to be chief minister. As a legislator of several
years, Mohanty had access to funds and some following among the party
MLAs. These assets were ultimately to be his liability.
Mohanty is outraged. "If I am corrupt,
so is the chief minister," he says. Other than venting his fury,
he can do little else for the time being. However ruffled they may be
by his style of functioning, the BJD legislators are wary of taking Naveen
on since public sympathy is firmly with him. One option Mohanty has is
to join hands with Mohapatra, who after having been shown the door by
Naveen has floated his own party, the Orissa Gana Parishad. Though relations
between Mohanty and Mohapatra are strained, they may come together goaded
by the belief that the enemy's enemy is a friend.
—Ruben Banerjee
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