Patnaik, Biswal row over portfolio issue

Bhubaneswar, May 13: Differences of opinion between Chief Minister J B Patnaik and Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee OPCC president Hemana...

Bhubaneswar, May 13: Differences of opinion between Chief Minister J B Patnaik and Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee OPCC president Hemananda Biswal seems to have cropped up over the issue of reallocation of portfolios of the ministers.

Sources said the PCC chief was not happy over the manner in which the Chief Minister avoided a reshuffle of portfolios among his ministers. Biswal favoured a reshuffle as it would have portrayed a new face of the Congress before the electorate in the coming by-elections. The PCC chief who met the Chief Minister in his secretariat chamber on Sunday reportedly impressed upon Patnaik to carry out the reshuffle before the by-polls. However, sources pointed out the Chief Minister was not in a mood to disturb the balance of power in the party by effecting the reshuffle soon.

According to sources, the PCC chief did not like the hasty manner in which the Chief Minister secured his resignation as deputy Chief Minister. On his arrival from New Delhi, Biswal had told newsmen herethat he would continue in the post till he received the signal from the High Command.

But the two days8217; visit of the acting governor Dr C Rangarajan to the state on May 9 and 10 provided an opportunity to the Chief Minister to secure the resignation of Hemananda Biswal. Congressmen believed that by securing Biswal8217;s resignation, the Chief Minister would carry out the reshuffle.However, by deferring the cabinet reshuffle the Chief Minister not only belied the expectations of his loyalists, he also antagonised the Hemananda Biswal camp. The loyalist camp was under the impression that the Chief Minister would utilise the opportunity to clip the wings of his deputy Basant Kumar Biswal, who was getting increasingly critical about the style of functioning of the government.

Patnaik had also announced on his arrival from New Delhi that there would be a reshuffle in his cabinet. However, the delay in carrying out the reshuffle has created an impression in Congress circles that the Chief Minister and deputy ChiefMinister Biswal have patched up their differences.

Sources said the proposal to induct some new ministers was dropped at the last minute because the Chief Minister and the PCC chief could not agree on the names. The PCC chief had suggested the name of Panu Nayak, a Scheduled Caste MLA to be inducted into the ministry. However, the Chief Minister dropped the idea as he wanted to reward some of his loyalists.

Plea for Bihar seat

RANCHI: Senior Youth Congress leader Sanjay Pandey today Congress president Sonia Gandhi to field late Gyan Ranjan8217;s wife for the Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar, vacancy for which was caused following the former8217;s death.Pandey said the least the party could do now for the departed leader was to support his wife in realising her husband8217;s dream of reviving the Congress in the region and improving the socio economic conditions of the tribals and non-tribals of the region.