BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have found a man within his party who is promoting agriculture literally. Two-time BJP MP from Odisha and state vice president of the party Ananta Nayak is now busy cultivating paddy. He represented Keonjhar (reserved for ST) from 1999 to 2009.
Ananta, who defies the general perception that politics is an easy and comfortable way of becoming rich, believes failing to recapture his seat in the 2009 and 2014 general elections gave him an opportunity to dedicate his time to his passion: farming.
This year, he has cultivated five acres of land in his native village Langalkanti. Starting from ploughing land to deweeding and transplanting paddy saplings to applying fertiliser, he has done everything on his own. For him, farming is not only stress reliever, but also lucrative if done with proper care.
“I hail from a farmer’s family. I love farming and spending time in an agricultural field gives me immense pleasure. Though joining politics was a decision taken to serve the unprivileged and poor, I always promote agriculture and stand by the farmers’ cause,” said the 46-year-old.
Born on May 1, 1969, Ananta was a member of the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha. A diploma mechanical engineer by academic qualification, he left his steel plant job in 1999 and joined politics.
He became an MP at the age of 30, garnering 4,16,956 votes. He won twice from the constituency consecutively. He was also selected as the president of the saffron party’s Tribal Morcha.
“My brother is an all-rounder. He knows everything that is required for farming and has been doing it since he was studying in Class V. He was spending time in the field even when he was MP,” said his younger brother Sarat Nayak.
Local party functionary Amar Singh said: “Had he expressed his desires, he could have done many things to spend his life in luxury. But he preferred farming. He is an example for others in politics.”
While Nayak’s wife Labangalata is a member of VHP’s women wing, their only son Antaryami is studying in Class VIII in an English medium school.
Ananta was defeated by Biju Janata Dal’s Sakuntala Laguri by 1,57,317 votes in the 2014 general elections, in which BJP came to power at the Centre.