Role of RN Singh Deo As a Chief Minister
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ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review Role of R.N. Singh Deo as a Chief Minister : A Study of Coalition Government, 1967-71 Dr. Suresh Prasad Sarangi ABSTRACT: (In the recent few years, India the largest democracy of the world, has gained the experience of formation of coalition government in the states as well as in the centre. However, it has been consistently observed that the Indian National Congress and the regional parties failed to muster enough support in order to form a stable government owing to the failure of the major national parties in the states lacking in political stability in the inception of 1950. During the first three quarters of this century coalitional politics in Odisha bears the records of several events of kaleidoscopic changes and is marked with the activities of various leading personalities whose roles require further analytical study for a proper assessment. The present paper seeks to focus on the role of Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo who was the Chief Minister in the Swatantra-Jana Congress Coalition Government in 1967-71) Keywords: Descendant, Factionalism, Hung-Assembly, Multi-balanced coalition, Portfolios, Manifesto. Introduction: minimum programmes for the purposes of running Coalitional politics is not a new the government. Thus, coalition is a direct phenomenon for the citizens of parliamentary descendant of the exigencies of a multi-party democracy like India. Its practices are very often system in a democratic set up. found in different successive governments in The state of Odisha was one of the earliest independent India. As Hon’ble P.A. Sangma, the to experiment with coalitional government, having former speaker of Lok Sabha, very aptly formed in 1959 a coalition of the two largest remarked that, politics in India is changing, parties in the Assembly the Congress and the whether for good or bad. He further stated that, Ganatantra Parishad. After the Second General “Normally, in a Parliament, we have a single party Elections in 1957 the Congress Party had formed Government with multi-party opposition. But this a government of its own under the steward time it is just the reverse. We have a multi-party leadership of H.K. Mahtab as the Chief Minister Government with a single party opposition”.1 with the support of the Communist and the Wherever no political party wins majority in the Jharkhand Parties. As the problem arose between elections to the lower or popular house of the Congress and the Communist party, the state legislature, a number of political parties join hands entered into the coalition government between the to form a coalition government with a common Congress and the Ganatantra Parishad on 12th 90 April - 2016 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 May, 1959. The government remained in power Late Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo, the for 21 months and finally dissolved on 25th last Maharaja and the Ruling Chief of Patna State February, 1961 owing to factionalism within the (Bolangir) of Odisha, was one of the towering Congress.2 personalities in Odisha for many years preceding The second coalition government was our independence and since then, he dominated installed in the state after the Fourth General the state politics for many years and made rich Elections in 1967 with the Swatantra—Jana contribution to the socio-economic, cultural and Congress party which was formed by Rajendra political fields not only in Odisha but also in the Narayan Singh Deo, the Swatantra Party leader, entire country as well. Mr. Singh Deo was born as Chief Minister. Due to the dramatic political to Raja Aditya Pratap Singh, the ruler of the development in the relations between the Congress princely state of Sareikela and Rani Padmini Party of Odisha and the Jana Congress it led to Kumari Devi. He was adopted by the Maharaja 6 the withdrawal of the Jana Congress from the Prithwiraj Singh Deo of Patna State. He studied Ministry in January, 1971.3 Thus, the Swatantra- in Mayo College in Ajmer and the St. Columbia’s Jana Congress government collapsed. After the College in Hazaribagh. He became the Maharaja Assembly Elections in 1971, once again Odisha of Patna State in 1924 and assumed full powers witnessed a hung assembly and a multi-balanced in 1933. He was the first man in India to sign coalition was shared by the Utkal Congress, instrument of merger by which the princely state Swatantra and the Jharkhand parties under the Patna was merged with the Union of India in 7 leadership of Biswanath Das, a veteran Congress 1948. He was the president of the Ganatantra leader who returned from political retirement. But Parishad, a political party formed by him in 1950 the ministry dissolved barely after 14 months, with and continued as the president till 1962. This the defection of some Swatantra members and Party merged with the Swatantra Party in 1962 the merger of the Utkal Congress with the and again Mr. Singh Deo was unanimously elected Congress (I)4. The last coalition was the BJD- as the president of the Orissa Unit of this newly BJP Government that served for a long period. formed party.8 The Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party In 1951, Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo coalition government took oath on 5th March, was elected to the first Lok Sabha from 2000 and completed its first term in 2004. For Kalahandi-Bolangir constituency as a candidate the second time the coalition returned to power from the Ganatantra Parishad. In 1957, he was in 16th May, 2004 and ended on 7th April, 2009 elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from just before the General Elections of 2009.5 Titilagarh constituency and became the Leader Thus, Odisha had a long experience of of the Opposition in the Odisha Legislative coalition politics and it has been observed that Assembly. After the fall of the minority Congress the political culture of Odisha is political uncertainty Government, the Ganatantra Parishad formed a and coalitional politics in different period of times, coalition government with the Congress on 22nd except for 1951, 1961, 1967, 1980, 1985, 1990, May, 1959 under the leadership of Dr. H.K. 1995 and 2009. Odisha has been ruled by Mahtab. Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo became coalition ever since first general elections, but there the minister of Finance, Industries and Law in this are only four formally structured coalition government. The coalition government collapsed governments so far. on 21st February, 1961 and President Rule was April - 2016 91 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review enforced. In the mid-term poll of 1961, he was Ganatantra Parishad) signed an agreement on the re-elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly basis of a 21-point programme for forming a from Kantabanji constituency and became the coalition Government in Odisha. They combined Leader of the Opposition Party once again. In on the basis of a common minimum programme 1967, he was re-elected to the Odisha Legislative to defeat the Congress in the 1967 elections to Assembly from Bolangir Assembly Constituency the Odisha Assembly.10 Mr. Singh Deo and Dr. th and became the Chief Minister of Odisha on 8 Mahtab the Leaders of both the parties released th March, 1967 and continued this office till 11 the 21-point common minimum programmes in a January, 1971. During this period, he led a press statement and announced the following coalition government formed by the Swatantra manifesto: Party and the Orissa Jana Congress of Hare Krishna Mahtab. Mr. Singh Deo also served as 1. Establishment of a clean and good government; a cabinet minister having the portfolios of Political 2. Ruthless elimination of corruption, favouritism Service (excluding River Valley Development), and nepotism, at all levels and setting up of Industries, Home, Public Relations and Tourism commission for enquiry into charges of during the multi-balanced coalition government corruption by ministers; headed by Biswanath Das from 3rd April, 1971 to 9th June, 1972. Thus, Mr. Singh Deo, had a 3. Setting up an institution of the ombudsman long outstanding political career in both for eradication of corruption; Parliamentary and Assembly politics.9 4. Increasing efficiency, uprightness of The Fourth Assembly Elections (1967) administrative delays; was fought against the backdrop of several 5. Establishment of rule and law; political crises beginning with a CBI probe against 6. Change of outlook of the police for public alleged corrupt practices by which the Congress Party was totally demoralised and Mr. Mitra had service and increasing their efficiency, and to resign from the Chief Ministership by the order sense of discipline; of the High Command of the Party and he has 7. Freeing the administration from political succeeded by Sadasiva Tripathy a veteran pressure and ensuring impartiality and fair deal freedom fighter of Koraput. By that time the to the employees; Congress had a very poor image inside the state. 8. Equal justice and fair dealing for all; Corruption, price rise and the state government’s total failure in tackling the drought situation had 9. Utmost economy in expenditure and strict embittered the sentiment of the people about the avoidance of all wasteful expenditure; worth of the congress leaders in the state. 10. Elimination of unnecessary controls, permits, Meanwhile, Dr. Hare Krishna Mahtab left the licences and quotas through a non-political Congress party along with some dissident independent statutory board; congress leaders including Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, Banamali Pattnaik and Surendra 11. Establishment, expansion and completion of Pattnaik and formed a new regional political party existing Universities; named, “Jana Congress” on 5th May,1966. In 12. Abolition of land revenue, reduction of tax the subsequent Assembly Elections, the Jana burden and elimination of harassment in the Congress and the Swatantra Party (formerly collection of state due; 92 April - 2016 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 13.