Naveen Patnaik Wants to Be Kingmaker

Naveen Patnaik’s suave, enigmatic moves cut a stark contrast to the BJP’s aggressive campaign in Odisha. Will the Chanakya of Bhubaneswar be able to stop the saffron juggernaut from rolling into the land of Lord Jagannath?

- R. Prasannan

Are you happy?” Naveen Patnaik asked the galleries at the opening of the World Cup Hockey last November in Bhubaneswar, where he showcased Odisha to the world. And then, without any touch of drama and without waiting for the audience to reply, he added blandly, “I am very happy.”

The Odisha chief minister lacks drama in his person. He cannot make a good speech; or, for that matter, he cannot even speak his people’s language. All his speeches— official and political—are prepared by his aides in Roman script for him to read. He recites them in a laboured manner, often mispronouncing the words, giving much mirth to listeners. As at the hockey event, he does not even listen to the people.

For close to 20 years, Patnaik has been leading Odisha without speaking rightly or listening properly. It would look as if he has been taking Odisha’s wishes for granted. He seems to think—and he has proven it—that communication is not necessarily through spoken language. “He has an army of people who inform him on the issues faced by the people,” said an aide. “The trick has been to address the issues before they become problems. Issues become problems only when they are visible and are talked about. He has managed to keep them out of sight, and thus prevent them from distressing the people.”

There are other ironies, too. The state is home to some of India’s poorest, but there are few beggars on the streets of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack or Puri. The literacy rate is low, but many young Odias have done well in all-India competitive exams. The state ranks low on sanitation indices, but towns look clean with well-swept pavements and unclogged drains. There are no garbage heaps and encroachments. Streets are navigable, with no traffic holdups, and the air in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack smells fresher than it does in Bengaluru or Kolkata.