(Reporting by Jajati Mohanty)
"The people of Odisha will decide who will succeed the party. The successor will be from the BJD, and not from my family," Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said in an interview to a news channel.
Patnaik's clarification however has done little to quell speculation among party workers. Despite his decision to seemingly speak out against dynastic politics, one of the names doing the rounds was that of Arun Patnaik, Naveen babu's nephew.
The speculation suggests that Arun would be given his political debut in the bye-election to the Hinjili constituency - which was one of two seats that Naveen won in the 2019 Odisha Assembly and is expected to vacate. The other seat he won was Bijepur. Arun had told mediapersons in January 2015 that he had no intentions at the time to enter politics.
BJD leaders are choosing to play it safe for now on the matter of succession. "People of Odisha know Naveen babu very well, and in the same manner, he is aware of their feelings, sentiments and interests. So, whatever he does or says is backed by a detailed study," BJD vice president and Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya said. Other leaders committed to following whoever Naveen would choose as his successor.
The thinking within the party is that the identity of the BJD is closely linked to Naveen Patnaik, who will turn 73 years old in October. Party workers expect a major setback if Naveen quits politics without finalising who would succeed him. Some party leaders think BJD voters may not accept a leader who was not from the Patnaik family.
Naveen entered politics shortly after the death of his father, the immensely popular Biju Patnaik, in 1997 and launched the BJD soon after. He has since won every election in Odisha, and has just begun his fifth term as Chief Minister of the state, a position he has held uninterrupted since 2000.
