Bhubaneswar: Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo, well-known as KV Singhdeo, belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Patna (princely state) in Odisha’s Bolangir district. He is a five-time BJP MLA from the Patnagarh constituency and was a Cabinet Minister of Industry and Public Enterprise from 2000 to 2004 and from 2004 to 2009.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the former BJP vice president lost to the BJD nominee and is fighting his way back to power. A member of the BJP national executive, he believes that his party will win the 2024 Assembly election in Odisha and form the next government in Odisha.
In a telephonic interview with Ommcom News Editor-in-Chief Jajati Karan, Singhdeo talks about his challenges in this election, his plans for the Patnagarh Assembly segment after winning the polls, and why the ruling BJD may lose in Bolangir.
Below are the excerpts from the interview.
Q: Irrespective of the party line, as far as Bolagir is concerned both the BJP and BJD bank on the royal family. What is the reason behind it?
A: I have never gone to the people claiming to be royalty. It is a different issue that they give me the respect of royalty. I have always approached people as KV Singhdeo or Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo.
Q: Doesn’t that add to your advantage because people…?
A: If it works to my advantage, why did I lose elections? I did not win all the elections I contested. Why did I lose in 1990, 1991, and again in 2019? I started my career by losing twice. I won for the first time in 1995 because of the love and affection of people. With their blessings, I got elected to the Assembly five consecutive times. I lost again in 2019.
Q: Okay, what was the reason for losing in 2019, and how do you think you will overcome the challenge this time?
A: Last time I could not give the time I should have given to my constituency for the simple reason that the party had given me certain responsibilities of getting people to join the BJP. People like Bijay Mohapatra had left some time back and I had to get him back. We had to get Baijayant Panda to join the party. We had got Damodar Rout and other persons to be inducted into the BJP. The party had given me these responsibilities and I only came back to campaign for myself. I was also involved with Modi Ji’s programmes in Odisha. The then BJP state unit president Basant Panda was contesting the Parliamentary elections and I was given the responsibility of working in his constituency. All these affected my prospects in the 2019 elections.
Q: Give me three important reasons why the people of Bolangir or Patnagarh should vote for you this time.
A: See, the number of thefts, robberies, and dacoities has increased in the entire sub-division of Patnagarh in the last five years. All these were under control during the previous 25 years when people elected me as their representative to the Assembly. It is a matter of discussion amongst them.
Second, the amount of corruption in government works has increased and people now want me to come back to power. Third, people have been able to connect with me more this time because I have devoted my full time to Patnagarh only in this election.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you are facing in this election?
A: If you ask me, honestly I am facing no challenge this time.
Q: So you are very confident that you will be winning this time without any hurdles?
A: Yes, I am confident. When people come and join you every second day and people who had gone over to other parties are returning to BJP – which is ‘ghar wapsi’, it is itself an indication that people want you back.
Q: Please tell me about the three most important changes that you would like to bring to your constituency if you are voted back to power this time.
A: During the last 25 years of BJD rule, the Chief Minister has talked about providing 35% irrigation facility to every block of Odisha. He held the portfolio for 22 years himself but there is not a single block in the state where he can claim to have given 35% irrigation facility. He can’t even claim to have completed one Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) project, for which Atal ji had given funds for 1998-99. The only project he has come in and operated is the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project which does not have any water. He has inaugurated an incomplete project just to garner votes for himself. The people of Bolangir will ensure his defeat at Kantabanji this time.
Q: What are the other changes you want to see?
A: The other change I want to see is that people should not migrate for work. If we can increase the irrigation potential by constructing check dams across rivers and streams and providing irrigation facilities, each household here will be involved in agricultural activities. This will ensure that people do not migrate in search of work to other places. This is the biggest challenge here. Connectivity has always been a challenge for people in Bolangir though a lot of connectivity work was undertaken when I was elected by the people.
Third, tanks in all the villages in Bolangir have become polluted because there are no inlets and outlets. The tanks only get filled with rainwater. Renovation of these tanks is also a priority for me.
Q: The common perception is that western Odisha is a stronghold of the BJP. Do you think that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik contesting from Kantabanji in western Odisha will make things turn around this time?
A: The people of Kantabanji will give a befitting reply to the Chief Minister this time. Last time, the Chief Minister contested from Bijepur and promised he would ensure that the water of Mahanadi reaches the Gaisilet block in Bargarh. The pipes are lying there getting rusted but the water is yet to reach Gaisilet.
The Chief Minister came and declared that Padampur would be declared a district. Then again, he got a lawyer to fight a case in the court and gets it stayed. He had also announced that the government would be giving bhawans to four communities – the Teli samaj, Agharia samaj, Meher samaj, and the Kulta samaj. Land was shown to them but none of these projects took off the ground.
Then again, the people of Kantabanj are seeing that the Chief Minister’s MLAs and MPs cannot meet him… they have to go through the ‘self-styled’ protector of Odisha. Obviously, the people of Kantabanji will not be able to meet him ever.
Q: How do you see the overall results of the BJP in Odisha this time?
A: I have not toured Odisha this time but concentrated mainly on my Assembly segment in the Bolangir district. Overall, I see the BJP performing very well in this election. And we will achieve a state where the BJP can form its government in Odisha.