Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who will contest from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket, spoke to Ashok Pradhan on the current political situation in the country and state. Excerpts from an interview
Why do you think people will vote for you?
It’s not like that. People will vote for Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
. There is a consensus in the country to elect him for a third term and propel India to further prosperity.
There is a clear-cut pro-Modi wave across the country and in Odisha. People trust him. They feel his return to power is needed for India to continue its growth trajectory and attain new heights of global recognition. Modi ji has earned people’s credibility because of his vision and efforts for a
Viksit Bharat
. India will be a developed nation in the world by its centenary year of 2047. The hat-trick of wins will be the reward for being a high performer
What is your assessment about Odisha’s assembly election?
People have made up their mind for a change here. Anti-incumbency has reached a new peak. The Naveen Patnaik govt has failed to provide basic needs of governance. Odisha remains at the bottom in most parameters of governance despite having a stable govt for 24 long years. One may call it the lost years. Malnutrition among women and children is among the worst. The pace of development is dismal. One feels dejected when the state is compared to situations in BJP-governed states. Naveen babu has outsourced the governance to a handful of bureaucrats. People will not toleate this. We are fighting for ‘
Odia asmita
’. Youths are aspirational. They will drive the change
What does ‘Odia asmita’ mean to you?
A state carved out on the basis of its language in 1936 will celebrate its centenary in the next 12 years. Given the current scenario, where malnutrition, anaemia and stunting among children are among the worst, the future may be bleak.
What will we celebrate unless these situations improve? There is institutional failure. School dropout is among the highest. The govt here is showcasing Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana as a success story, but basic healthcare is absent. Hospitals don’t have enough doctors. People are migrating to other states for unskilled jobs. The democratically elected govt is controlled by a small group of non-Odia officers. Naveen Patnaik-led
BJD
has destroyed the democratic fabric of the state. The non-Odia officers who don’t understand the state’s social and cultural fabric take all the decisions. We must re-analyse why our forefathers fought for a separate Odisha state.
BJD says BSKY is better than Centre’s Ayushman Bharat…
Why should there be a comparison? If it is a better scheme it can continue. But nothing prevents the state from integrating the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat with it so that people get additional benefits. Many non-BJP governed states have done that. The state is losing crores and our people are being deprived of the benefits of the central govt’s healthcare insurance cover. This is because the BJD govt here is scared that if the central scheme is implemented, PM Modi will become more popular.
Is your reference to non Odia officers aimed at V K Pandian…
The concern lies not with any specific individual, but rather with the subversion of established processes under Naveen babu’s leadership. Democratic principles have been undermined and Odisha’s dignity disregarded. M a n d a t e given to Naveen and BJD by the people has been sidelined, as evidenced by the transfer of power to an unelected official. Opportunists and conspirators will always try to hatch conspiracy and grab opportunities, but the real issue at hand is the apparent lack of respect for the electorate’s choice by the CM himself. If he has age and health issues, the CM should entrust responsibility to one of the 4.5 crore citizens of Odisha, rather than an employee. This decision has derailed the democratic process.
Pandian has questioned BJP’s commitment to ‘Odia asmita’ and accused you of trying to stall projects associated with Odia pride.
I don’t need a certificate from an irrelevant individual who has no constitutional mandate or commitment. I am answerable to the 4.5 crore people of Odisha and our Lord Jagannath. In the name of Shree Mandira Parikrama Prakalpa, they have demolished many ancient monuments. Attempts have been made to sever links to our past civilization. This hurts me. Putting paver blocks around our holy shrine cannot be called a heritage project. It is merely beautification work at the cost of causing irreversible damage to our heritage.
If you are so much against the BJD, why did talks start for a coalition between BJP and BJD?
There were no talks. We were very clear on having no electoral adjustment with the regional party. People had voted for us as the principal opposition to Naveen in 2019. This time their hope lies with the BJP. The PM himself has said that many parties have extended issue-based support to the BJP on occasions. These should not be confused with possible electoral alliance. BJP’s fight will continue to recover the decades lost to BJD govt and restore Odia pride, put Odisha back on track of faster development with a double-engine sarkar.
What’s your vision for India, Odisha and for your constituency Sambalpur?
Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India is on track to become the world’s top-three economies within the next few years. India will lead the world. The world looks up to PM Modi ji’s leadership. Odisha must break free from the current cycle of governance paralysis. The state is blessed with natural resources, but has been losing precious time because the govt is defunct. All its untapped potential must be tapped to make it India’s most developed state with sustainable growth models.
Distress migration must stop. Upskilling of the workforce, bringing investments across sectors and restoring the state’s cultural glory are important.
My vision for Sambalpur is to develop it as a hub of education, health and tourism. It can be groomed to become the place for a global workforce by making value addition to the region’s indigenous and inherent strengths. It is a place where old civilization thrived. It continues to remain the centre of activities in western Odisha. Unfortunately, the city still doesn’t have minimum basic facilities like drainage, proper drinking water supply network and planned growth.
While Rahul Gandhi has spoken about BJP-BJD understanding, BJD talks of BJP-Cong understanding…
Neither is true. Our understanding is with the people. Rahul remains confused forever. Naveen has handed over BJD’s reins to some non-political, non-democratic hands. I am confident BJP will come to power in Odisha on its own this time. A double-engine govt will make up for lost time. Odisha will scale new heights of prosperity and glory and will be a key state for a developed India roadmap
