Congress leader Jitendra Singh, the new AICC in-charge of Odisha, says the party is in the process of organisational restructuring right from the top.
Like West Bengal and Kerala, Odisha is also a new frontier for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where it is planning to unseat Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has been in power for over 18 years now. The BJP's immediate goal, however, is to dislodge the Congress as the principal opposition which has been out of power for nearly two decades.
Jitendra Singh, former Minister of State of Sports (Independent Charge) in Manmohan Singh government, has been given the charge of Odisha by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi. In an interview with WION, Singh admitted that the Congress went through organisational disarray in the state but is trying to make up for it quick and fast. Rahul Gandhi has already posted an AICC team which is looking at the party issues closely ahead of the Assembly elections, he said. Odisha state polls are coterminous with Lok Sabha elections.
Jitendra Singh, the new AICC in-charge of Odisha, spoke with WION’s Kartikeya Sharma on his plans to revive the party in the state.
Question: You are in charge of a state which Congress has not won since 2000. Are you at all in the race in Odisha?
Answer: We are in the race in the state and people are fed up with the BJD. Odisha’s economy is in shambles. Infrastructure does not exist and jobs are none. Law and order is another issue which requires serious attention of the state government. Lot of work was done during UPA 1 and UPA 2 and industries did come to Odisha when we are at the Centre.
Q: But when it came to Vedanta, Rahul Gandhi went to Niyamgiri and the whole project stalled?
A: Industries need to come but rights of the local people need to be kept in mind. The local tribal sentiment was against that particular industry in Odisha and then there are environmental issues in Niyamgiri too. The Congress is not against industries but whenever an industry comes it needs to be in concurrence with the local people.
Q: How do you expect to bridge the vote gap between the Congress and the BJD? The difference between them and you is in double digits?
A: People have faith in the Congress. The way we have regrouped and reorganised ourselves has made a difference. Though I must admit that the Congress had lost its touch with people as grassroot organisational work was lacking. People still have affection for the Gandhis.
Q: Isn’t Congress worried that BJP has emerged as a principal player in Odisha? You have seen the way BJP swept Tripura and displaced both the CPM and the Congress.
A: My counter-argument is that what has been BJP’s performance in Tripura and Assam. That too is an issue.
Q: Bottom line is that they won the elections.
A: Yes, they won the elections and then completely destroyed those states. People of Odisha are very learned and understand that the BJP’s performance in those states has been abysmal. BJP stands nowhere in Odisha. BJP is by pumping money for pomp and show whereas they are nowhere in the game.
Q: You are very optimistic but the fact of the matter is that Congress even failed to take advantage of the infighting taking place in the BJD?
A: Congress Party has stepped up. For example, Mahanadi is a big issue in the state where water is being shared between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The BJD has suddenly woken up to this issue before the elections. Even the BJP in Odisha has woken up but they also have a government in Chattisgarh and the issue remains unresolved. We have taken up this issue apart from chit funds. We would rather stand on our own feat than running after Jay Panda who left the BJD. Though the door of the Congress Party is open.
Q: Isn’t it right that the Odisha Congress has not emerged from the political consequence of the cyclone which hit Odisha and its top state leadership went missing during the disaster?
A: I would not say that the leadership went missing. Congress did work during the cyclone and did its bit and I don’t think that it is an issue today.
Q: Who are your leaders?
A: We have lots of leaders and very capable leaders. We have Niranjan Patnaik, Mr Biswal (Former CM Hemananda Biswal), Pradip Manjhi and Bhakta Charan Das. We have young leaders coming up. We have three working presidents in the state.
Q: When Rahul Gandhi gave you the charge of the state, what were the deficits you encountered?
A: I felt that grassroot connect was missing and there was uncertainty in the organisational structure and factionalism existed. These challenges have been overcome. There is a strong team from AICC parked in Odisha which is visiting blocks and districts. We have a new line up of young leaders coming up as working president in the districts. We are in the process of organisational restructuring right from the top.
Q: What is your electoral slogan for the coming elections in the state?
A: We are still working on it but it will be around the pride of Odisha and how the BJP and the BJD have destroyed it.
Q: Lastly, is Congress looking for alliances in the state?
A: We have not looked into the issue but we are open to the idea of tie-up with regional players. That can be worked out in future.
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