International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-3(3), July-September, 2015 Madan Mohan Bhuyan, Research Scolar, P.G. Department of History, Berhampur University, Berhampur-760007, Ganjam, Odisha Bharatiya Janata Party line for the party. Three senior leaders who were cabinet While regionalism, in general, is ministers in the previous Janata Dal essentially a product of India’s diversity, government of Biju Patnaik-Biswabhusan sub-regionalism in particular is the result Harichandan, Vedprakash Agrawal, and of historical and geographical factors in Sarat Kar joined the Bharatiya Janata it. The term ‘sub-region’ refers to a Party. A section of the state Janata Dal smaller area within a region or ‘nation’ legislators had taken enthusiastic which for economic geographic, historical interest to shape a joint opposition front and social reasons is aware of possessing together with the Bharatiya Janata Party a distinct identity.(1) Sub-regional against the congress in the forth coming conflicts have often been found to take Odisha Assembly election of 2000. the shape of movements claiming their Naveen Patnaik, who was elected an M.P separate identity in the formation of from the Aska parliamentary regional political parties on the basis of constituency after his father’s death and local support. For the emergence of Biju was holding a key portfolio under the Janata Dal in Odisha factors like political Atal Behari Vajpayee at the central pluralism, religion, regional imbalance, cabinet, was extensively leaned to be the anti centre, and caste factors are not leader of the dissenter group. Leaders largely responsible. It cannot identify a like Dillip Roy, union Minister, Vijay regional party in terms of its ethnicity or Mahapatra, and other MLAs of western religion-cultural identity. Odisha including Ananga Udaya Singh In 1997 after the demise of Biju Deo and Prasanna Acharya were openly Patnaik, the Odisha unit of Janata Dal came in support of Naveen Patnaik’s showed the way for a split. There was leadership. also disagreement in the party over the The plan of a magnificent deal leadership issue. At least 15 Janata Dal with Bharatiya Janata Party did not find legislators out of 46 in the state helping hand with Ashok Das, leader of legislative Assembly had advocated a pro- International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-3(3), July-September, 2015 opposition in the state legislative In the last week of December, Assembly and Srikant Jena, Union 1997 Naveen Patnaik stood under a giant Minister. They provoked the central cut out of his father at ‘Naveen Nivas’, Janata Dal leadership to meddle in this Biju Patnaik’s house in Bhubaneswar matter. A resentful Janata Dal and announced that he and a large President, Sarad Yadav warned, “we number of legislators were breaking away made it clear to the dissidents that we from the Janata Dal (JD) to form the Biju were willing to go to any length to Janata Dal (BJD). “My father had a lot of accommodate their views, the only dreams for Odisha,” he intoned, “to condition being that there should be no realize those dreams are our goal”. He truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party”. also promptly declared that the new Old friends of Biju Patnaik like Surendra party would have an alliance with the Mohan, Minister of Information and Bharatiya Janata Party. Shortly Broadcasting S.Jaipal Reddy and afterwards, Asok Das, State Chief of the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman truncated Janata Dal, reacting to the new Madhu Dandavate were asked to meet development demanded, “We are the real Naveen Patnaik and talk to him. (5) party which will strive to fulfill Biju Babu’s dreams”. (8) I.K. Gujral one time Prime Minister of India met Naveen Patnaik for The new party Biju Janata Dal an hour and tried to impress upon him (BJD) had attracted a surprisingly large the need to avoid, “compromising with number of supporters, including 29 the very forces your father spent his MLAs. Inherent contradictions and lifetime fighting”. Ignoring all the tensions among the Janata Dal Members request of the senior Janta Dal leaders of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), which Naveen Patnaik group was all set to form had vitiated the political life in the state a regional party. Subsequently Asok Das, for last few months, after the demise of who held both the state units Biju Patnaik, came to an end with the Presidentship of the Janata Dal and the formation of Biju Janata Dal in 1997. leadership of the Janata Dal legislature Going by the ground realities in party, was asked to quit his Assembly Odisha, the Bharatiya Janata Party could post. (6) not be kept at arm’s length. Though the So by the time the wooing of Bharatiya Janata Party was yet to win an Naveen Patnaik began, the split was election in the state both for 147 almost a certainty. In his last attempt Assembly and 21 Loksabha seats - the Sharad Yadav, the President of the party had emerged as a major factor in Janata Dal at national level phoned the state, especially in western Odisha. In Naveen Patnaik from Mumbai, “Come to the 1996 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Delhi tomorrow and you will get the Party secured over one-lakh votes in half letter appointing you as president of the a dozen parliamentary seats, helping the janata dal at the airport itself. Naveen congress to win by default. Logically, Patnaik did not take into account the there fore, the Janata Dal leaders had to plea of Sarad yadav and at the same night ensure their own survival by working out he and his group decided to break away. an arrangement with the Bharatiya (7) Janata Party to counter the challenge of the congress. (9) International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-3(3), July-September, 2015 As things stand then, the BJD Interestingly, both sides (Naveen was the second largest party in Odisha. Patnaik and Vijay Mahapatra Group) They had 29 legislators, while the accused each other of being agents of Bharatiya Janata Party had only 10 Congress Chief Minister J.B.Patnaik. members. Therefore, in the BJD’s While the loyalist camp alleged that the working relationship with the Bharatiya rebels were out to break the party at the Janata Party, the B.J.D was “A” team behest of J.B.Patnaik, the rebels pointed and the Bharatiya Janata Party was “B” the fact that the party president, Naveen team. Patnaik, for all his talk of uprooting the “Cynical, corrupt Congress government” On the contray, the Congress in the state, had failed to spearhead any Chief Minister J.B. Patnaik was wary meaningful agitation against the about the emerging alliance between the J.B.Patanaik Government. (12) BJD and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Both the parent Janata Dal and the Naveen Patnaik had clearly congress had been found wanting in underestimated the clout and support framing a political response to the sudden Vijaya Mahapatra enjoyed in the party. development. The Janata Dal central His decision to induct Damodar Rout and leadership badly misread the warning Sarat Kar had disaster written all over it. signals emanating from Odisha and could If Naveen Patnaik really believed that do little to retrieve the situation. Even the entry of these gentlemen would sore J.B.Patnaik realized he had few options up his party, it was a genuine error of before him. Naveen Patnaik’s main judgment. After all both of them had lost slogan was going to be “Save Odisha” and the last Assembly election badly - there was little that the rivals could do to Damodar Rout from two places and had oppose such an emotive plank. (10) done precious little till then. But Naveen Patnaik’s subsequent moves suggested The man who fathered the Biju that his action was designed to snub Janata Dal latter found to his dismay Vijaya Mahapatra who had a long- that he presides only over a handful of standing rivalry within them. His leaders and not the party itself. There decision to reconstitute the party was a trouble for the BJD chief at home organization to ensure that no as the party headed for a split. The BJD Mahapatra loyalist remains in a position led towards a vertically split between of authority had brought the party to the groups owing allegiance to Naveen brink of a split. And it could have a Patnaik and to rebel leader Vijaya miracle of sorts if it continued the crisis. Mahapatra. Mahapatra was the nuts and (13) bolts man who was controlling the party network particularly in vital coastal Naveen Patnaik suspended five Odisha. Building a strong pressure group party MLAs for anti-party activities. with 10 MLAs in his grip he always threw Naveen Patnaik badly faltered at the first his gauntlet against Naveen Patnaik. test of his leadership quality. Not only Things had reached a stage where even had he failed to rise above the various minor party mandarins can publicly factions within the party and to keep lambaste the party president and wonder them on a leash, he had also failed of wonders -get away with it (11) enthuse the party cadre. Apart from an occasional memorandum to the Governor International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-3(3), July-September, 2015 or a stray press statement demanding the Meanwhile dates for the election resignation of Chief Minister to the 12 Lok Sabha was declared. In the J.B.Patnaik, there had hardly been an 1998 elections to the 12th Lok Sabha the agitation worth the name against the BJP and Allies (15) secured 252 seats state Government.