Patnaik's cabinet reshuffle a message to western Odisha

Three days after Biju Janata Dal (BJD) celebrated a massive victory in the Bijepur assembly constituency bypolls, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik rewarded three ministers who contributed the most to the ruling party’s victory. They were given coveted departments through a ministry reshuffle. Simultaneously, it was also a message to western Odisha that he was more caring about the region in allocation of economic portfolios. Politically, it seems to be more justified as in last February’s zilla parishad elections, BJD had heavily lost to BJP in those districts.

In today’s minor reshuffle, labour and employment minister Sushanta Singh was given the energy department, whereas housing and urban development minister Niranjan Pujari was given water resources department as an additional portfolio. Steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallik was given works department additionally. All three had worked hard in the Bijepur bypolls. While Singh and Pujari were in charge of specific pockets of the constituency, Mallik was observer of party for Bargarh district under which Bijepur comes, and had camped in the area for the last four months. Singh belongs to the district where as Pujari is from the neighbouring district of Subarnpur. All three additional departments given to these ministers are engineering portfolios, considered plum.

Pujari and Singh getting two key departments have political significance as both belong to western Odisha. In last rural poll, BJP had won mostly in western Odisha. Since western districts are drought-prone, irrigation is only solution to mitigate farmers’ woes. Besides, cases of farmers’ suicide have been regularly occurring in dry areas of western Odisha. So, water resources portfolio going to a western Odisha minister is important. In power and infrastructure, western districts are at a disadvantage in comparison to the developed coastal districts. This may be another reason why the energy department has gone to a minister of that region. Steel and mines minister Mr Prafulla Mallik belonging to undivided Dhenakanal from where BJP stalwart Mr Dharmendra Pradhan ,union minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas comes had also been the minister for Energy additionally.In stead of Energy he now gets Works departments under which Roads and Building comes.Besides rewarding Mr Mallik for his performance in Bijepur byelection management Chief Minister might have kept in mind he belongs to the region of Mr Pradhan whom BJP projects as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

In last year’s rural poll BJP had emerged as the main rival of BJD by not only pushing main opposition Congress to poor third the saffron party had also cut into BJD’s earlier strength. After the reshuffle, attention is now on the Rajya Sabha poll to be held this month. Three BJD Rajya Sabha members are retiring and as per assembly strength, BJD will win all seats. The question is who will be chosen.