A party veteran, three-time MP and former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das has been given a herculean task of rebuilding Congress in Odisha. In discussion with Team TNIE under the Odisha Dialogues series, the newly-appointed president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee outlines his vision, mission and strategy to revive the grand old party in the state. Excerpts:
You have been appointed as the president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) at a time when the party is in a crisis in the state. It is fighting from the margins. What is your immediate strategy to revive the party in the state?
I have been in Odisha politics since long. I have initiated steps to find out the reasons behind the party’s defeat in every election and what can be done for its revival in the state. The two rivals - BJP and BJD - are no doubt stronger. They have money power and efficient election management machinery. But I believe that people of Odisha want a real change. The people of the state have realised that the BJD and BJP are hand in glove. They are once again looking towards Congress with hope.
You said that BJD and BJP are hand in glove. If the people knew this, why did they vote for BJP in 2024 election? Why did Congress fare so badly?
In the last election, our selection of candidates was wrong to the extent of 80 per cent. I clearly admit it. The campaigning was also amiss. Did you see any public meeting other than that addressed by Rahul Gandhiji and party president Khargeji? Barring a meeting that I had organised in Kalahandi in which former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel attended, there was no concerted campaign involving national leaders. We totally failed in election management. But you must realise, despite our weaknesses, about 15 of our candidates lost by low margins of 5,000 to 15,000 votes. If we had given some more attention to them, the party could have won another 15 to 20 Assembly seats.
You were appointed OPCC president overlooking the claims of several senior leaders like Srikant Jena and Mohammed Moquim. As factionalism has long plagued the Congress in the state, how do you plan to unify leaders and cadres?
You must see how I have already unified everybody. I openly visited every leader’s house and discussed with them. They are all coming together. All the senior leaders like Srikant Jena, Jayadev Jena, Niranjan Patnaik and Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka are very close to me. Everybody including the young MLAs are also supporting me. Nobody has opposed my appointment.
Where are the youth leaders in Congress? The party has failed to groom young leaders who can take the organisation ahead.
We have many young leaders who were defeated in the 2024 election. At least 20 youth candidates are there who can win the next election. Now we are focused on rebuilding the Youth Congress and NSUI. We are going to organise intensive training camps for them. We are also selecting educated women leaders. I am going to select 500 educated youths with commitment who will carry the party forward.
BJP’s rise and BJD’s fall have reshaped Odisha’s political landscape. How do you see this shift politically for Congress ?
BJP has risen because of the fault of the Congress. Congress should have occupied the second place. We should have started at least one year before the last election. We should have strengthened the booths, identified the constituencies. We could have won 50 seats. If I would have come one year before, things would have been different. But this did not happen. So, BJP came to power by default. The understanding between BJD and BJP has also brought the BJP to power. BJD has 51 MLAs, but it has no MP. Five BJD MLAs win from a parliamentary segment, but they lose the parliamentary seat. How? Is it not a question to be discussed? I think the BJD and BJP planned this together. BJD let BJP MPs win for the Centre and thought BJP will be second in Assembly and they will rule the state. They have gifted the parliament seats. Some agreement was there.
Do you think the strategy to focus on a single issue of growing crime against women in Odisha and the caste census demand which has now been announced by the Centre will help the Congress in Odisha. Will you demand a caste census to be carried out by the state government ?
The Congress has succeeded in making the growing crime against women a burning issue in the state in just two months. The BJP laughed at us when we first started campaign on the issue. But now, you yourself can see everybody is raising the same issue. From Assembly to the streets, it is a raging issue in the state. You can see the government is cornered. Women are 50 per cent of the population. Naveen Patnaik exploited women voters by forming Mission Shakti. Now Mohan Majhi government is doing the same thing. Women have realised they are being exploited. More than 65 gang rapes have been reported in the last eight months of the BJP government. The BJP and BJD are not speaking on this. Already 300 days of this government have passed. Can they give a white paper on their performance and which of the promises they have fulfilled except Subhadra. And, we have also explained what Subhadra Yojana is. This is only Rs 27 per day which cannot cover even the cost of a meal per day.
On caste census, when Rahul Gandhiji had started the campaign, the BJP had vehemently opposed it. Rahulji did not yield and continuously went on hammering on the issue. This terrified the central government. Suddenly, before the Bihar election it was compelled to announce the census. The BJP succumbed to the pressure of the Opposition. Our leader Rahul Gandhi still has not allowed the domain free for the BJP. He said it should not be like the Women’s Reservation Bill. Timeline should be announced for implementation of the caste census. We will go to the people on the issue. We are not going to walk out of it.
How do you plan to energise the party at the grassroots level where BJP and BJD are firmly ensconced with strong organisational base?
You have seen candle yatras organised by the BJD and BJP at the district level after the Pahalgam terrorist attack to express solidarity with the families of the victims. You see the crowd in their yatras and those conducted by the Congress on the same issue. People were spontaneously joining the Congress programme. Our numbers were much much higher than theirs. I should tell you, the day I arrived after being appointed as the OPCC president, I fell down and broke my hand. But I did the Sankalpa Yatra and walked to Puri. You have yourself seen the crowd at my padayatra. People were not mobilised. They joined on their own and it was from village to village. Further, nobody was coming to take our membership. Now people have started joining our party. Mass exodus from other parties also is taking place. Everyday people are joining Congress at the district level and here in state headquarters also.
Have you set any target for the membership drive like the BJP or the BJD ?
By the end of July we will have formed panchayat level organisations. Youths, students will have their representation, and women are working in a big way. There will be big rallies of women where there will be no men.
You have started the process to rebuild the party in the state. But the state office-bearers are yet to be announced even after two-and-half months of your appointment.
We have started appointment of office-bearers. We have appointed a Political Affairs Committee (PAC). The media panel will be declared shortly. We have declared the Youth Congress team. Every department will have office-bearers in one month. The state executive and state office-bearers will be announced after that. You will see a full-fledged team of the Congress in the coming days.
Party rebuilding needs money and resources when you are up against strong rivals like BJD and BJP. Just before the elections, Congress candidate for Puri LS seat withdrew her candidature for lack of resources. What are your plans?
I will raise money from the common people. I will request for Rs 100 per month. Many people are there to contribute. If from each district 20,000 to 25,000 people give me Rs 100 per month, then it will be Rs 10 crore month. In four years, it would be Rs 480 crore.
You have given a call to the Congress leaders who had left the party to return. Many of them had contested the 2024 election and defeated. What is the response?
Response has been very unique. They had left the party, but in heart and mind they have still been in Congress. Some people did not get respect in the other parties. Some also did not get tickets. Many reasons are there. They do not want to be left behind now.
You have also recently made a big statement that many BJD leaders are in touch with you. Can you clarify on this? Is the BJD going to split ?
Many BJD leaders are my friends, and we talk. But I cannot say anything about the split. I would have been happy if BJD had maintained its independence. BJD has surrendered before the BJP. If the BJD can separate itself from BJP, it will emerge stronger even now. They are not able to fight for Biju Patnaik International Airport. They could not save Panchayati Raj Day for Biju Patnaik. One of their leaders compared Biju Patnaik who was very close to Nehruji with Pandian ( VK Pandian) and Naveen Patnaik did not utter a single word. Could not ask him to beg apology or leave the party. He is so much helpless. Do you think that people, political leaders who came for the ideology of Biju Patnaik and respect for Naveen Babu can continue in the party?
What do you want. A strong BJD or a strong Congress ?
I want a strong BJD for the sake of Opposition’s requirement in the state. Because this is a double-engine government, a strong Opposition is required. If BJD would have been strong enough, BJD and Congress combined would have 65 or 66 MLAs. Then you have four independents. You could have roped them in anytime.
So you want to topple the government ?
They would have been terrified. A strong Opposition would have been possible. That is why I provoked. I wanted to awaken them. But they have ruled for 24 years. How can they wake up so soon.
You have served in multiple leadership roles, including Union Minister. What personal experiences are you drawing from this revival mission ?
I am a street fighter and a common man. I can work in worst situations. I can make an issue out of a non-issue. I have that confidence. I walked for three days with a broken hand for darshan of Lord Jagannath. People are central to all my works since the time I fought for poverty stricken people of Kalahandi.