BHUBANESWAR: Three ministers from Odisha in the Council of Ministers of Narendra Modi government with two in the Cabinet rank are more than the State could have asked for.
But even in that, Prime Minister’s propensity to surprise sparkled again with party Rajya Sabha member from the State Ashwini Vaishnaw not only included as a Cabinet Minister but also given the plum portfolio of the Railway Ministry combined with Electronics and IT, and Communications.
Along with him first time MP Bishweswar Tudu from the tribal seat of Mayurbhanj has been appointed as the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti.
Vaishnaw’s election to Rajya Sabha in 2019 has been a unique story in itself. The former bureaucrat-turned corporate honcho-turned entrepreneur was a consensus candidate of both the ruling BJD in the State and the BJP.
So much so that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gave up one of the three seats to the upper house, which his party would have easily cornered, to ensure his entry into the Rajya Sabha. And, Prime Minister Modi did call up Patnaik seeking his support to Vaishnaw’s election from BJP.
The Prime Minister showing confidence in the former IAS officer of Odisha cadre perhaps stems from his deft handling of important responsibilities as a bureaucrat during his tenure in the State as well as Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s PMO.
His role as an administrator during the Super Cyclone of 1999 in Odisha is well-acknowledged. But, his stint in Odisha was brief as after serving as Collector of Balasore and Cuttack, he was called on to join the Vajpayee PMO as deputy secretary.
In the Central role, he has been recognised for his contribution to the public-private-partnership (PPP) framework in infrastructure. An MTech from IIT, Kanpur with an MBA degree from Wharton School, Pennsylvania, he has proved his leadership roles across major global companies such as General Electric and Siemens.
In Vaishnaw and Tudu, Odisha gets more than its due
“I thank Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation as Union Minister...I will take charge tomorrow and work relentlessly to realise his vision,” Vaishnaw tweeted announcement of his portfolio. “I seek the choicest of blessings of Lord Jagannath to serve the people of Odisha. Jay Jagannath,” he added.
The name of Vaishnaw as a possible ministerial candidate was in circulation before the Cabinet rejig for his proximity to the Prime Minister, but the selection of Tudu caught many by surprise. An engineer, who quit his Odisha government job to fight the 2019 elections, has been associated with RSS for a long time.
He was in charge of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Odisha region and actively worked for the welfare of tribals even while working in the State government.
The president of the State BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha, Tudu is the only tribal face in Parliament from Odisha after Sundargarh MP and former Union Minister Jual Oram.
BJP sources said that Tudu has the backing of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his inclusion has spiked the chances of a few prominent faces of party who had been lobbying hard to get a berth.
The elevation of Tudu is considered to have influence on the tribal community in the bordering districts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, feel political observers.
“The induction of Tudu will serve two purposes for the BJP. Apart from addressing the caste issue, it will also appease the tribal communities who constitute about 23 percent of the State population. He will also be a replacement for Pratap Sarangi who hails from northen Odisha district of Balasore,” a senior leader of the BJP said.
Sarangi has been dropped as the Minister of State for Animal Husbandry and MSME with insiders attributing it to non-performance.
“The Prime Minister’s mantra is perform or perish. There was lot of scope for Sarangi to prove his mettle in the MSME sector having vast potential to contribute to the economy and create employment opportunities. The State could not benefit much during his two years stint as minister,” sources said.
The Cabinet reshuffle has, however, left western Odisha districts high and dry. Of the eight BJP MPs from the State, five are from western region.