The candidature of Arabinda Mohapatra, son of former minister Bijoy Mohapatra, from Patkura Assembly constituency on a BJD ticket was not a surprise.
Around six months before the announcement of his candidature, the groundwork had been done for his induction into the BJD. A known critic of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his father who had fought BJD unsuccessfully for more than last two decades, had also come around.
Arabinda talks about all these issues and more with Bijay Chaki in an interview.
Excerpts:
Your father was a bitter critic of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the BJD. The bitter fallout of the chief minister and Bijoy Mohapatra is well-known. Now you are contesting on a BJD ticket. How are you dealing with such a turnaround ?
Every fight must end one day. It cannot continue indefinitely. The chief minister and my father have joined together for the interest of people of Patkura. My father was fighting for a cause, but that has changed now. The area needs development. And, development of the constituency can be achieved in a better way by remaining inside the BJD than by fighting against it.
How did the process of your induction to BJD start. Did you know about this before ?
I had not decided to join politics. I was working in the US for the last seven years. But father asked me to come back and work for the people here. There was a meeting of supporters in the constituency. There was an offer from BJD. People also wanted me to join. My father and the chief minister were supportive. I think joining BJD was the right decision.
Your father had campaigned against the BJD in the constituency for the last two decades. He had contested against the BJD candidates thrice. Is not the changeover difficult ?
There has been no problem from the people so far. The BJD people have also accepted me. There is no difficulty.
How did the chief minister interact with you when you met him for the first time in Naveen Niwas ?
The chief minister called me to the Naveen Niwas after I joined BJD. Mostly, he wanted to know about my life in the US. What I was doing there, my job, and other interests. He talked about places to see in the US. He sent his regards to my father. I had also taken the blessings of the my father.
What is your agenda for the constituency. How you want to proceed ?
One major problem in the area is shortage of drinking water. Then, I will complete an irrigation project started by my father when he was a minister. Unemployment is a big challenge in the constituency. But, the focus will be on drinking water. This is problem which has persisted for a long period.
You are confident of your victory ?
I have the blessings of the chief minister and my father. The two powerhouses have come together for the good of people of Patkura. I will definitely win from the constituency.