Dr. Prasanna Mishra |
| Blog | Posted By: hindtodaynews on:5/23/2010 8:20:30 PM |
(Dr. Prasanna Mishra)
Three Rajya Sabha Members—Shri Bhagirathi
Majhi(BJP); Shri Pyari Mohan Mohapatra (BJD) and Shri Radhakanta Nayak (INC)
would be completing their term on the 1st July, 2010.
Political universe of the state is now busy conjecturing on the candidates who
could descend on the arena. The atmosphere was somewhat cleared with the
announcement of the President of BJD on Shri Pyari Mohan Mohapatra. President
of the BJD has also expressed confidence about bagging all the three seats.
Arithmetic seems to be in BJD’s favour. With 103 MLAs, the Party would be short
of only eight first preference votes for winning the third seat. The Party has
the support of three Independents and can surely count on the support of NCP
(four MLAs) and CPI (one MLA). It may not perhaps be difficult to secure
support of a few Independent candidates.
Does this scenario leave any scope for a
non-BJD candidate to win the third seat? This issue needs some analysis. INC
has twenty-seven MLAs. Even if all of them are advised to support a candidate,
it is most unlikely that the candidate would have the support of the six BJP
MLAs. If BJP support were ruled out, then the candidate would need ten more
supporters to reach the magic figure of 37. NCP is a partner of INC in Delhi and if this
chemistry works also here then the candidate would need six more supporters.
Theoretically the candidate could garner the support of three remaining
Independents; but would still be short of three supporters. In case CPI
supports, he may still need two more supporters. Will BJP extend support? Well,
such consensus may emerge only when a towering non-political personality
emerges as the consensus candidate. But is such a situation even a distant possibility
in our state? There is a widespread feeling here that the state congress Party
emerges united only when congressmen want to dislodge someone from a Party
post. A non-political and non-controversial personality even if located would
only display his/her total innocence/ inability in managing a consensus. But
miracles do happen and may happen here as well. In the instant case, however, I
would rule it out.
I am
therefore sure that BJD will have all the three seats. This being the position,
I would like to deliberate a bit on the selection of the candidates. It is of
course the prerogative of the Party to select its candidates. One could still
air one’s view on this important issue. In a different forum I had suggested
that Rajya Sabha should have some representation of the landless peasants of
our country. They constitute a sizeable segment of our society and in the
interest of equity; they should enter the Rajya Sabha. After all a civilised
society is always a courteous one. I am for such a candidate. The Party may
consider this suggestion. Another candidate could be from those persons who
have willingly deserted the extremists and joined the mainstream. The Party
could thereby give a message to the supporters of the extremists that it cares
for the deprived segments of the society. Healthy democracy is also about
fielding new faces in every election.
What
other criteria would be relevant in selection of candidates? I would like to
recount my interaction with Sri Biju Patnaik on this issue. One day, he as the
Chief Minister, was discussing certain official matters with me and another
colleague in his office when a few unassuming elderly persons entered his room
and paid respect to a smiling CM. Their sudden entry meant disruption of the
discussion and I looked at the CM. He could read my mind. I learnt from him that they were the Party’s
nominees for the ensuing election to the Rajya Sabha. After the visitors left
his room, I told the CM that I expected that the CM would select only
nationally and internationally well-known personalities. He immediately
clarified in a most benign way that his selection only highlighted the
relevance of rewarding sincere people at
the grass roots. I learnt.
( The writer is a former IAS officer )
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