Nabarangpur: Dynastic politics has become a common phenomenon in the state politics, so also in Nabarangpur district. It is often debated during elections when party tickets are given.
However, it has found expression in distribution of organisational responsibilities within a political party. Dynastic politics has survived in the district over years across all three major political parties – the BJD, the BJP and the Congress, a report said.
It has grasped the working of three major political parties when it comes to steersmanship of a party organization – be it a party’s district president or any other prized post in the undivided Koraput district including present Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada.
Freedom fighter Jagannath Tripathy had led Congress party organisation in undivided Koraput district. Jagannath’s nephew Muna Tripathy now continues with his political legacy. Similarly, former member of Rajya Sabha Bhagaban Majhi had led then Janata Dal as its district president. At present, his son ex-MP Pradeep Kumar Majhi is in charge of Nabarangpur district unit of the Congress party, including acting as state vice-president of the party.
Likewise, ex-minister Yadav Majhi had led Janata Dal of undivided Koraput district as its district president. Later, after the formation of BJD, he also led the party organisation here.
Of late, his son parliamentarian Ramesh Chandra Majhi has been appointed as district president of Nabarangpur BJD. Coming on to saffron camp, Parshuram Majhi had led the party’s organisation here, after his father-in-law Baliram Kashyap of present day Chhattisgarh.
Moreover, Ex-Minister Ramachandra Ulaka was Congress party’s district president in Rayagada. His son parliamentarian Saptagiri Ulaka is in charge of district Congress party organisation these days.
However, with slight deviation from the phenomenon of dynastic politics, some political leaders of undivided Koraput district could not succeed to pass their legacy onto offsprings in leading the parties.
Ex-Minister Raghunath Patnaik’s son Biren Patnaik could not hold the baton as district president of Congress. So also, the family members of then president of Congress in undivided Koraput district Jayadev Parida were kept out of the race. Although, family members of the district president of Congress Habibulla Khan refrained from politics, his nephew Munna Khan is active in BJD here.
At present, he is an advisor of scheduled castes and scheduled tribe development department (minister of state cadre). However, during 1960s Dr AR Khan was the district president of Swatantra Dal in undivided Koraput while his son-in-law Habibulla was in Congress.
Notably, the logic of dynastic politics is the logic of patronage. Dynasts groom their constituencies because they think they are in for a long haul. The benefits of development will be reaped by their descendants.