• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • Sport
  • Cricket
  • Odisha

Naveen Patnaik’s Health, Inheritor & Politics: Well, It’s Anyone’s Guess!

3 years ago

Latest Odisha Breaking News Updates | Tuesday, 13 May 2025

1 hour ago
IPL 2025 revised fixtures

IPL 2025 To Resume On May 17, Final On June 3; Check Revised Fixtures

8 hours ago

Sambalpur Hottest In Odisha For 3rd Day As 17 Places Record Temp At 40°C & Above, Bhubaneswar Sizzles At 40.4°C

8 hours ago

Javed Akhtar Reveals Why Bollywood Is Scared Of Speaking Up Against The Govt

8 hours ago

Harshvardhan Rane Claps Back At Mawra Hocane For ‘PR Strategy’ Remark

8 hours ago

Odisha’s Industrial Growth Highest In India Over Past Decade; Naveen Patnaik Expresses Happiness

9 hours ago

This Is What Shah Rukh Khan Does Whenever He Starts Feeling Arrogant!

9 hours ago
Pak drone attack

Drones & Explosions In J&K, Punjab After PM Modi’s Address

9 hours ago

22 Arrested For Attacking Police During Festival In Odisha’s Ganjam

9 hours ago
PM modi

Modi’s Address To Nation: ‘If We Talk To Pakistan, It’ll Be About PoK, Terrorism’

9 hours ago
PM Modi address to nation

PM Modi’s Address To Nation: ‘Rattled Pakistan Reached Out To India For Ceasefire’

10 hours ago

SUMUM: Kidneys Of 6-Year-Old Brain Dead Boy Save 2 Other Lives

10 hours ago
  • Home
  • About us
  • Career
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
No Result
View All Result
Odisha Bytes
  • Home
  • Odisha
    • Policy & Politics
    • City
  • India
  • Sport
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Hockey
    • IPL
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Movie Review
    • Television
    • Bollywood
    • Hollywood
    • Ollywood
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Health
    • fashion
  • World
  • More
    • News You Can Use
    • Good News
    • Viral Videos
    • Tech
      • Cars & Bikes
      • Mobile & Gadgets
      • Review
Odisha Bytes
No Result
View All Result
Home Editor's Picks

Naveen Patnaik’s Health, Inheritor & Politics: Well, It’s Anyone’s Guess!

by Sandeep Mishra
February 20, 2022
in Editor's Picks, Featured, OB Special, Policy & Politics, Politics
Reading Time: 3 mins read
525
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Bhubaneswar: In his nearly 25 years in politics, Naveen Patnaik has proved quite skilful at leading others into the guessing game, leaving not just his rivals bemused but also his party leaders and close associates in awe.

So when he chose to clear the air about his health on Friday evening by visiting Lingaraj Temple here and answering a few questions from journalists, Naveen showed his mastery over the art of realpolitik by not naming anyone and yet smartly deflecting the blame on the Opposition when panchayat elections are underway in Odisha.

Does it necessarily mean that it is the Chief Minister’s political adversaries, who are fuelling talk and rumours about his health? Or, is there more to it than meets the eye?

While the BJP has pointed an accusing finger at the ruling BJD for creating such rumour, Congress has sought a probe into the “mystery behind the rumours during polls”. The BJD has said it knows who is doing it and even claimed that “a first-time MP from Odisha and a former MP with media links” are spreading it through trollers but stopped short of naming them.

While the issue has undoubtedly triggered political mudslinging, adding to the rural poll heat, the fact remains that discussion about Naveen’s so-called ailments has been on in different circles for the past few years. Naveen, 75, who has since the COVID pandemic began in March 2020 stayed mostly indoors confining his interactions to a select few, has time and again laid such speculation to rest by showing up in public. It happened as recently as on January 26 when similar rumours were doing the rounds. The CM attended the state-level Republic Day parade here alongside Governor Ganeshi Lal and even went around the garden at Lok Seva Bhavan.

What is most intriguing about the latest round of such rumours is the timing: it started on February 15, the eve of the first phase of polling. Such unconfirmed chat about the state’s highest political executive, that too at such frequency, is indeed a matter of serious concern whatever be the source. Which is why it is imperative to trace the origin, something that is easier said than done. However, it might help if one understands who really benefits from such talk. This again brings up the question: Is it only the Opposition that gains from such rumours about the CM? Could it not be a sign of a possible war of attrition within the ruling dispensation? Or, could it be a political stratagem adopted by a few for electoral dividends?

While an aging and ailing Naveen can certainly give his rivals some hope of improvement in their long sagging political fortunes, the other two possibilities cannot be ruled out. For, politics, as German statesman Otto von Bismarck put it, is the art of the possible!

A sympathy wave for the popular CM, who says he is healthy and happy to serve the people of Odisha, by portraying him as a ‘victim’ of unwarranted rumours and his challengers as ‘devil’ without a doubt will swing some additional votes to the BJD kitty.

More importantly, whenever Naveen’s health becomes a topic of gossip for the hoi polloi what invariably follows is a discussion about his possible successor. This again is a grey area that neither Naveen nor his party has clarified, sticking to the rhetorical “people will decide the next leader” line. And therein could hang a tale.

With speculation rife over the heir apparent being either Naveen’s nephew or niece or a powerful party leader or an influential civil servant, rumours about the BJD president’s health could be used for anyone’s advantage. And Naveen, who took the political plunge only after his illustrious father Biju Patnaik died in April 1997, would certainly know a thing or two about timing and how rumours can create  perception that could eventually define politics. Until then keep guessing!

Also Read: No Need For Physical Meets, Naveen Patnaik Runs The Show Over Phone: BJD’s Pratap Deb

Tags: #coronacreativityNaveen Patnaik
Share210Tweet131

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
Sandeep Mishra

Sandeep Mishra

Group Editor

TrendingNews

  • rafale

    Did India Lose Rafale Fighter Jet In Pakistan Conflict? Check DGAO’s Answer

    776 shares
    Share 310 Tweet 194
  • [Watch] Pakistan Retracts IAF Pilot Custody Claim After India’s Strong Rebuttal

    575 shares
    Share 230 Tweet 144
  • ‘Indian Navy Was Ready To Strike Karachi, Kept Pakistan Ships Confined To Harbour’, Says DGNO Vice Admiral Pramod

    651 shares
    Share 260 Tweet 163
  • [Watch] 10 Satellites Working 24X7 To Protect India, Says ISRO Chief

    560 shares
    Share 224 Tweet 140
  • No Pakistani Nuclear Site Targeted By India: DGAO

    558 shares
    Share 223 Tweet 140
  • Check Out List Of 32 Airports Shut For India-Pak Tension That Are Set To Reopen

    552 shares
    Share 221 Tweet 138
Odisha Bytes

Copyright © 2025 Frontier Media

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Odisha
    • Policy & Politics
    • City
  • India
  • Sport
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Hockey
    • IPL
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Movie Review
    • Television
    • Bollywood
    • Hollywood
    • Ollywood
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Health
    • fashion
  • World
  • More
    • News You Can Use
    • Good News
    • Viral Videos
    • Tech
      • Cars & Bikes
      • Mobile & Gadgets
      • Review

Copyright © 2025 Frontier Media