'If 2019 polls throw up Karnataka-like situation, I see BJD joining hands with Congress'

Congress in the state is trying to recover lost ground, but newly elected campaign committee chairperson and former Union minister, Bhakta Charan Das, has been conspicuous by his absence at party events. Ashok Pradhan finds out why:
Congress seems re-energised ever since a new team has taken over. You, however, seem to be maintaining a distance. Why?

I am preoccupied with certain tasks given to me by All India Congress Committee. For the past few days, I was in Andhra Pradesh to work on a plan to revive the party there. In fact, I submitted a report on the matter this Wednesday. Hence, I have not been able to contribute as much to the state unit as I should have.

Did you aspire to be Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president?

I am a disciplined Congressman. It is for the party high command to decide how I should be utilised for the party and what is in its best interests. The Congress leadership feels Niranjan Patanik as PCC, helped by Naba Das, Chiranjiv Biswal and Pradeep Majhi as working presidents, can deliver at this juncture. I believe the team will do well.

Have you started your work as the chief of the campaign committee?

After the change of guard last month, it is time for the state leadership to form district and state-level organisational committees. The process is on. Campaign committee work will be done when we plan our campaign for the next election. We will do that soon and I will give my 100 per cent.

Do you agree with the suggestion made by chairperson of the Congress manifesto committee, Srikant Jena, that if the party is voted to power, it should choose a CM and two deputy CMs from the SC, ST and OBC communities?

There is nothing wrong in putting forward a political argument. Manifesto formation is deliberated at the state-level committee before being finalised. The committee will collectively decide on the party's approach, not just on who should be CM but what it should promise on agriculture, education, social development and so on. This is not the time for me to react on what a senior leader has suggested.

Does it upset the party's scheme of things?

I don't think so. Even if someone is personally hurt with another leader's political behaviour, one should not take it seriously. Individuals can at best suggest; the final decision is a collective one.

What do you foresee for Congress in the state in 2019?

The time is short but the party can be revived. The team led by Niranjan is doing excellent work. Though I would not like to predict anything, I think Congress might win or there could be a hung house in Odisha. If Congress gets more than 50 seats, it might lead to a coalition with BJD. Niranjan Patnaik can be CM.

But BJD has reiterated its stance of equidistance from Congress and BJP...

If a Karnataka-like situation arises here, where a coalition becomes necessary to form government, I think BJD will come together with Congress and not BJP. It's a secular party and will come forward to form a secular government.

What do you think of BJP forming government in Karnataka?

What BJP did was ugly and against democracy. The voice of the people was muzzled and the governor's office was misused. If such things continue, we can forget about political values. Reformist-politicians can't survive. But given India's robust democratic system, BJP's run will end. It can't take the country for a ride for long.