Rahul trip doesn’t worry BJD

The Statesman, 5th March, 2008

Statesman News ServiceBHUBANESWAR, March 4: Chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik underplayed the possible impact of Congress MP Mr Rahul Gandhi’s tour of Orissa beginning 7 March, and said “several leaders have often visited the state but made little difference to the BJD-BJP’s winning run over the last decade”.Mr Patnaik was also quick to take a dig at the Congress by hoping that Mr Gandhi who is suppposed to visit the KBK region sees for himself the needsof the area for which the state has been voicing its demand in the centre.Replying to a question on the security aspects particularly since Mr Gandhi is covering some of the Naxal infested areas, the CM said “security concerns, if any, will be looked into”.Asked about nominations to the four Rajya Sabha seats which fall vacant shortly, Mr Patnaik said “the BJD has two seats and he will decide uponthe candidates after consulting senior leaders of the party”. Of the four vacancies that are to arise, the BJD has two, the BJP one and the Congress one.The CM evaded questions on allegations made by a section of the minorities that riot victims of Kandhamal district were getting a raw deal. Mr Patnaik iterated that his government had ordered a judicial probe which has already started its work in the area.Meanwhile even the Congress circles here are skeptical of Rahul Gandhi’s visit. Reliable sources said the OPCC president Mr Jayadev Jena was not even consulted before finalization of the tour programme.Everybody knows that Rahul Gandhi has had very little impact in UP and Gujarat, remarked a senior Congress leader wondering what good would such road shows do to the state Congress which is in complete shambles.The youth and student wing of the party has however started working overtime to ensure success of meetings planned in Nuapada and Kalahandi districts on 7 March. The rest of the programme has an element of uncertainity as Rahul Gandhi may have to cut short his tour, said reliable sources here.The importance of Nuapada and Kalahandi meetings stem from the fact that he is to address a save forests rally there. The forests are a major issue in the region ever since the controversies of the Vedanta Alumina project erupted and went up to the Supreme Court.