With Patnaik at helm, Odisha cannot be ignored any more: Achyuta Samanta

Support to a candidate for a constitutional position, or to some key decisions in national interest does not imply that the BJD will tie up with the BJP at any level, says Samanta

After running two premier institutes in Odisha — one for deprived children and the other a leading engineering college — for well over two decades Achyuta Samanta is now a BJD Rajya Sabha MP. He talks to Thirumoy Banerjee about his party, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and more. Edited excerpts:

The Biju Janta Dal (BJD) has not been as critical of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre in the recent past. It has also supported some of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP's) decisions, including the NDA candidate for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. Are these signs of the BJD forging an alliance with the BJP? 

The BJD is a democratic party and all its decisions are taken keeping in mind the interests of the people of the state and the country. The decision to back the NDA RS deputy chairman candidate, Harivansh, was taken by the party core committee led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The process is similar to other key decisions taken by the BJD. 

Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in Odisha are not too far. Should we entirely rule out a major political realignment?

Support to a candidate for a constitutional position, or to some key decisions in national interest does not imply that the BJD will tie up with the BJP at any level. Being a Rajya Sabha MP myself, I can tell you that all of us (BJD RS MPs) and other members of the core committee got together before last month’s election to the RS deputy chairman’s position. We thought that supporting the NDA candidate would be better for the state. 

But the two parties have been allies in the past. There must be some talks going on... 

I cannot comment on this further. I joined the BJD only a few months ago. I am a rookie in politics. I have decided to refrain from making any political statements for at least one year. Even in the RS, I have not said anything so far.

From being a social worker, as you call yourself, you are now a politician. How did the switch happen? 

I have been working for the poorest of the poor in the state, just like the BJD. So, when the chief minister approached me for the BJD Rajya Sabha MP’s post, I could not say no. 

I have been doing social work for 26 years, running Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) where over 27,000 tribal students from across the state are given free education, from KG to PG. I thought being in the RS would give me a better platform to do my work. 

You have a support base among tribals because you have been working for them for so long. Could that be a reason behind the BJD approaching you, given that tribal votes in Odisha are so important? 

I don’t think the BJD chose me for political gains. Patnaik is a household name in Odisha. He has come up with one scheme after another for the benefit of the poor. From providing rice at a cheap rate to reducing the school dropout rate and transforming the education sector, he has done more for the state than anyone else could have. I don’t think the BJD needed an Achyuta Samanta to increase its vote base. 

Does Patnaik take all party decisions? How is he as a leader and person? 

As I said earlier, the BJD is a very democratic party and all members have a say before any important party decision. 

Patnaik is an extremely honest, transparent and democratic leader. He commands immense respect from the people of Odisha. Almost all the current social welfare schemes in the state were either launched or were made successful by him. He has been carrying the aspirations of the people of the state almost single-handedly for all these years.   

But, from the outside, it seems that the BJD starts and ends with Patnaik.   

Why do you say that?

He appears to be that juggernaut who brushes aside any challenge. Look how he stripped Pyarimohan Mohapatra and Baijayant Panda of their positions. 

The BJD is a very disciplined party and is in no way personality-driven. Patnaik has been working relentlessly for the state. He has decentralised powers inside the party. Anyone who has attended the party meetings would agree. Besides, the BJD has other good, able leaders, who have a lot of support from not just party cadres but also the people. 

Two big elections are coming up. Don’t you feel Patnaik would need any support at the state and national levels? 

He has been ruling the state for 18 years. The BJD has seen landslide wins in the Lok Sabha, assembly as well as civic elections, year after year, under his leadership. Find out where Odisha was when Patnaik assumed office in 2000, and see where the state is now. The whole country has seen Odisha’s transformation. The state has become an education and industry hub. In sports, Odisha has done wonders. Look at the number of international sporting events the state hosts these days. Odisha is also on its way to becoming a health hub in eastern India. 

At the state-level, Patnaik is supreme. 

But does he not have national ambitions? 

Odisha used to be a neglected state. Even in the 2000s, people would call it a poor, backward state. Now, the state has found space in national affairs. Patnaik has played a big role in this uplift. The country cannot ignore us any longer. 

But there’s still a long way to go. Vast swathes of the state remain severely backward. 

There is a long way to go and I do not deny that. The government is working towards it. It takes a long time to achieve inclusive growth. The poverty rates have come down. The problem of Naxalites has been contained to a large extent. Human trafficking, especially among tribals, has dropped. The government is working to make everyone a part of the development story. 

You are famous as the man who runs KISS. What is your vision for the institute in the next five years? 

KISS has spread to different states now — there is one in Delhi too, which already has about 700 students and the model is the same as that in Bhubaneswar. My vision is to have more branches across the country. Last year, KISS became the first tribal university in the world. Now I want its centres in over 30 countries, including some in African and Latin American nations. 

Also, I want more children from KISS to take part in international sporting events, such as Asian Games and the Olympics. Asian Games silver medallist, Dutee Chand, is a KISS student. We want more Dutees to represent India at the international level and win laurels for the country. 

There have been allegations of encroachment by KISS in Bhubaneswar. 

The issue has been sorted out as per the rules. The controversy was over a piece of government land, which was used as a playground. There was no encroachment. Tribal children used to play on that plot of land and now they study there. The matter has been resolved.