Special diversion

The BJD had an alliance with the BJP till just before the 2009 elections,when it coasted to victory as part of a presumptive Third Front. Now,with Narendra Modi’s polarising ascent in the BJP threatening to scatter a significant section of the NDA — primarily Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) — demanding special status and presenting himself as a custodian of “Oriya pride” is a convenient way to factor himself into the calculations of possible alliances. In this he is following a script written by Nitish Kumar in recent months,who has,in effect,called for public engagement on his demand for special status for Bihar as a goodwill gesture from the Congress and other potential allies to retain the possibility of doing business before or after the 2014 election. The implicit bargain is that the obvious point not be made: that lack of special status is not a credible excuse for the inability to provide the governance and vision to hit the growth path in these states,especially one as resource-rich as Orissa. Patnaik’s strategy is particularly finessed. The BJD’s primary adversary in Orissa is the Congress and he goes to polls next year on a 14-year-long incumbency. Harping on “political discrimination” by the UPA would be useful in shifting the terms of the campaign away from his performance alone.

A committee has already been formed under Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram Rajan to update criteria to identify backwardness of states for granting special status. It is not surprising,however,that Patnaik chose to not wait for its report.