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The Rediff Interview/ J B Patnaik

'This is the time to take corrective measures'

It will be sweet revenge for former Orissa CM Janaki Ballabh Patnaik if he makes a comeback at the state's helm.

For, he will be deposing the man who replaced him in February in the wake of attacks on Christian missionaries in the state. Now, with a severe crisis brewing in Orissa Congress and a change of leadership almost certain, Patnaik would have been the natural choice for CM's post for the fourth time -- if only his former deputy, the over-ambitious Basant Biswal not joined the Gamang bandwagon at the last moment.

But the wily Patnaik was cool about everything when Bibhuti Mishra met him in his home for an interview.

It seems your chances of becoming the CM again are receding?

I don't know. I was not aspiring for any post. Mind you, I have been chief minister for 15 years.

Isn't it true that Biswal, because of his own ambition to become CM, betrayed you at the last moment?

There is no question of betrayal or anything. It would seem as if there was some deal. It is also not the concern of any individual .The CM is the leader of the CLP so it is left to the legislators to elect their own leader. But since the leader of CLP, the CM, did not make himself available, the CLP could not meet.

But the Biswal group asserts that the letter faxed to the high command, asking that you should not return as CM, had the signature of 47 MLAs out of 79?

I don't know and I am not interested in getting drawn into a personal squabble. It is the question of the state, not the personal likes or dislikes of any one person. When the AICC observers met the MLAs a couple of days back a majority of them reportedly suggested my name. So how could there be 47 who went against me? The arithmetic does not seem correct.

Why do you think they are against you?

Ask them.

But there was never any doubt that you had majority support when you stepped down. So what goaded you to press for a change of leadership now?

That was a time when I owned up moral responsibility and resigned. Besides, I believe that every partyman must abide by the directives of the high command. Even your CM says he did not come here because of support but because the high command sent him.

As for a change in leadership, all that I said was, corrective measures are required to be taken on the administrative front and organisational front to help the party and the state from slipping into a morass.

Do you think Gamang has failed to deliver?

I don't need to answer that. Nothing personal again. But Orissa is passing through a severe crisis and lakhs of people are crying out for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Things are not moving as they should. Every agency needs to be involved and coordinated action is required. That's not happening.

If you don't become CM again, will you accept the PCC chief's post?

Look, it is a question of what the high command decides. I shall always abide by that.

But Sonia Gandhi is reportedly not very favourably inclined towards you?

Ask the people who spread such rumours. Everytime I go To Delhi I meet her and apprise her of the state of affairs in Orissa.

There is an allegation that this fight for the CM's post is only over who will get to loot the huge amounts of relief money that has been collected. What do you have to say about that?

That's the imagination of a sick mind. Of course, money is necessary for the massive rehabilitation work. But this charge is baseless.

Do you think with an election only a few months away, a change of leadership can repair the damage done to the Congress's image?

Oh yes, this is the time to take corrective measures. Better late than never. The sooner this imbroglio is sorted out the better, and I am sure the high command and the legislators here will take the right decision.

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