Collector hunt

BJD is a good example of how a ruling party can use the government machinery to run the party. The ruling party in Odisha, BJD had organised a meeting in Balipatna near Bhubaneswar. Balipatna is in Khurdha district. BJD supremo and Chief Minister of the state Navin Patnaik was also present at the meeting. However, it was very surprising to see the District Magistrate of Khurdha Mr Hrishikesh Tripathi attending the meeting. Like a good party worker he also delivered a welcome speech at the meeting. It is now obvious that CM Navin Patnaik is misusing the government machinery to promote his party.

Indifferent Congress

The recent cabinet reshuffle brought only disenchantment for the senior Congress leaders from Odisha. It is learnt that the two senior leaders from the state were so optimistic that they had had their kurta-pyjama ready for the swearing-in ceremony, but in vain. When one correspondent of an electronic channel contacted one of the leaders on the phone and asked him that when BJP was holding a mammoth rally in the state against corruption and for the development, what was his opinion after the reshuffle, which witnessed no new entry from the state. The disappointed leader said that it was the negligence of the state on part of the party high command and disconnected the phone abruptly. One former Chief Minister, now MP from Sundergarh, Mr Hemanand Biswal also of the same opinion that Odisha has been ignored in the recent reshuffle. Here it is to be noted that Srikant Jena, who is minister of state in the central cabinet, was also expecting an elevation. But he was dumb after the reshuffle.

Saffron jolt

BJD supremo Navin Patnaik seems to be frustrated and irritated. The reason of his frustration is the anti-corruption rally held by BJP in Bhubaneswar. A confident Naven Patnaik could not have imagined to see such a sea of humanity for the BJP rally. However, the officers from Intelligence Department had already briefed the CM about the huge gathering. It was estimated that more than one lakh people were present in the rally. The whole Bhubaneswar city was covered with the saffron flags, hoardings and banners. A frustrated Patnaik ordered his loyal officers to remove the saffron flags, hoardings and banners immediately after the rally. So the very next morning municipal workers were seen removing the flags. The common man in Bhubaneswar was surprised to see the sudden active municipal employees who normally attend an urgent civic need not less than before 48 hours.

Tailpiece

January is the month of lunch and dinners for the political leaders as well as parties. Everyone is engaged in interacting with media through parties. The other day, DPCC president Jaiprakash Agarwal had organised a lunch for media persons. Polite Agarwal was present there to personally greet the media. He was distributing sweets to the journalists. But it was seen that sweets were distributed but with discrimination. All the journalists were not given sweets. Only when the media manager approved a person, he was given the sweet. This infuriated journalists who asked whether DPCC was running in deficit.