Bhubaneswar: Expelled Congress leader Suresh Routray on Wednesday welcomed the public mandate in favour of BJP in Odisha and said a change like this happens due to anti-incumbency factor when a government stays for a very long time.
“The BJP sank across the country, including in UP, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra but rose in Odisha. Naveen Patnaik ruled for 25 years. So the anti-incumbency factor was strong. It is nothing big,” he said.
The veteran leader’s younger son Manmath Routray lost to BJP candidate Aparajita Saranagi in the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency while his elder son Siddharth Raoutray fought on a Congress ticket from Nimapara Assembly constituency and also lost. But the veteran leader said he and his sons have not taken it to their heart and will continue to serve people.
“Of the 10 times I fought the elections in my lifetime, I have lost four times and won six times. The win did not make me very happy nor did the loss cause heartbreak. My younger son fought the elections for the first time and got 4,83,000 votes. He lost only by 37,000 votes and was voted by people of the entire constituency- Bhubaneswar, Balianta, Balipatna, Jatni , Begunia and Bolagarh.”
Routray said it does not look like there will be a stable government in Odisha. Congress and BJP will never come together but BJP and BJD may join hands as Naveen Patnaik has always backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, helping him in passing all bills in the parliament.
On BJD’s silence after the election, he said Naveen and V K Pandian have done a lot of work for the state and it is a sudden change so they are taking time.
“A party without any identity in the state has won. It happens. In the 1980s, every person given a ticket from Congress won. But it may not continue forever. Even at the Centre, if Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu do not support, the government will tumble down. So nothing is permanent,” he said.
The six-time Congress MLA said BJD has worked a lot for the state’s development and BJD is not only Pandian. “Is there a bus terminal anywhere in the world like in Bhubaneswar and is there a sports complex anywhere worldwide like Kalinga stadium? From drinking water facilities to good roads and medical facilities, irrigation, minor irrigation facilities, medical colleges, school, college and hospital development under 5 T, what has BJD not done for the state?” he questioned.
The veteran leaders said it was okay if people did not want them but they will continue to serve the people like he does and invited all to the Chandan Yatra on Sitala Shasti at Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar.
