BHUBANESWAR: Leader of the opposition Jayanarayan Mishra speaks to Subrat Mohanty on his new assignment, BJP-BJD relationship and more.
Your name was doing the rounds for leader of opposition in 2019. Did it come a bit late for you?
I don’t know about my name doing the rounds for the LoP’s post in 2019. But I am happy that the party appointed me as leader of the opposition now. It is the party which decides when and whom to give which responsibility. I don’t think that it is late. The party has now assigned me the responsibility to be the LoP and I will try to make the opposition more effective and meet the expectations of the people and the party.
What will be your focus as LoP?
As the LoP, my focus is to raise the problems of the people in the assembly besides questioning the government on different issues and making it accountable to the public. I will try to make the opposition more effective besides being constructive to uphold the best interests of the people and win their confidence. If required, we will aggressively attack the government in the assembly. However, in matters related to the development of the state, the party will play the role of a constructive opposition.
Amid perceived BJP, BJD bonhomie, how exactly is the relationship between the two parties?
It is nothing but a rumour being spread by the BJD. It is their strategy. They are deliberately spreading misinformation so that the people will see the BJP with the suspicion of being soft towards the BJD. But the fact is that the BJP has always reacted sharply and opposed the BJD. In the last 13 years as an opposition party, the BJP has never spared the BJD government. BJP has always exposed the BJD in different issues, may it be Mamita murder case or Pari case. As an opposition party, the BJP has never adopted a soft attitude towards the BJD, rather opposed the ruling party aggressively in the assembly and outside.
Given Naveen Patnaik‘s popularity, do you think BJP can challenge him?
I don’t think Naveen is popular in the state. Rather, I will call him a good manager. The people of Odisha are aware of the tactics of the BJD and Naveen. The BJP is going to pose a big challenge for Naveen and will certainly emerge as a credible alternative. I am sure that the people of Odisha will repose faith in the BJP and we will form the government in Odisha in 2024.
Home minister Amit Shah was in Odisha recently. What was his advice to the state leadership?
Shah discussed about the party and gave valuable advice on strengthening the organization in Odisha. Shah’s visit has helped in boosting the morale of the party’s leaders and workers. BJP president J P Nadda, general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh and Odisha in-charge Sunil Bansal are likely to visit the state later this month to strengthen the party base.
Could we see the BJP and BJD coming together?
The BJP will never compromise with the BJD. The people of the state have given us the mandate to play the role of the opposition and we have secured the second largest number of seats in the assembly.
Your name was doing the rounds for leader of opposition in 2019. Did it come a bit late for you?
I don’t know about my name doing the rounds for the LoP’s post in 2019. But I am happy that the party appointed me as leader of the opposition now. It is the party which decides when and whom to give which responsibility. I don’t think that it is late. The party has now assigned me the responsibility to be the LoP and I will try to make the opposition more effective and meet the expectations of the people and the party.
What will be your focus as LoP?
As the LoP, my focus is to raise the problems of the people in the assembly besides questioning the government on different issues and making it accountable to the public. I will try to make the opposition more effective besides being constructive to uphold the best interests of the people and win their confidence. If required, we will aggressively attack the government in the assembly. However, in matters related to the development of the state, the party will play the role of a constructive opposition.
Amid perceived BJP, BJD bonhomie, how exactly is the relationship between the two parties?
It is nothing but a rumour being spread by the BJD. It is their strategy. They are deliberately spreading misinformation so that the people will see the BJP with the suspicion of being soft towards the BJD. But the fact is that the BJP has always reacted sharply and opposed the BJD. In the last 13 years as an opposition party, the BJP has never spared the BJD government. BJP has always exposed the BJD in different issues, may it be Mamita murder case or Pari case. As an opposition party, the BJP has never adopted a soft attitude towards the BJD, rather opposed the ruling party aggressively in the assembly and outside.
Given Naveen Patnaik‘s popularity, do you think BJP can challenge him?
I don’t think Naveen is popular in the state. Rather, I will call him a good manager. The people of Odisha are aware of the tactics of the BJD and Naveen. The BJP is going to pose a big challenge for Naveen and will certainly emerge as a credible alternative. I am sure that the people of Odisha will repose faith in the BJP and we will form the government in Odisha in 2024.
Home minister Amit Shah was in Odisha recently. What was his advice to the state leadership?
Shah discussed about the party and gave valuable advice on strengthening the organization in Odisha. Shah’s visit has helped in boosting the morale of the party’s leaders and workers. BJP president J P Nadda, general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh and Odisha in-charge Sunil Bansal are likely to visit the state later this month to strengthen the party base.
Could we see the BJP and BJD coming together?
The BJP will never compromise with the BJD. The people of the state have given us the mandate to play the role of the opposition and we have secured the second largest number of seats in the assembly.