Will Naveen Patnaik ‘Shadow Cabinet’ Move Help BJD Turn The Tables On Mohan Majhi Govt?

Bhubaneswar: After its unexpected loss at the hustings, will the BJD’s experiment of forming a ‘shadow cabinet’ help it revive its political fortunes?

Though not a first in the country’s political history, Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s recent decision to allot departments to his party’s 50 legislators has certainly set the tone for a more participatory democracy and made the political landscape in Odisha more interesting.

By forming a ‘shadow cabinet’ to scrutinise work done by the maiden Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Naveen has not only made his intent clear of keeping CM Mohan Majhi and his colleagues on their toes but also keep his own party leaders on a tight leash. The BJD MLAs cannot afford to be lackadaisical and have to do their homework to be able to critique the policies and actions of Mohan Majhi government. Their job will be to scrutinise those they ‘shadow’ in government, and develop policies for the regional party.

For instance, former Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya has been asked to look after the finance department. He is now expected to lead the BJD response to BJP government’s first Budget in Assembly and outside.

Similarly, former Energy Minister Pratap Deb will deal with General Administration & Public Grievance. Both these departments are currently held by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi himself. Former minister Niranjan Pujari has been assigned Home along with Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare while senior BJD MLA and former Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain will keep an eye on Revenue and Disaster Management departments.

But the moot question is: Will this move, coming as it does a week before commencement of the first Assembly session after formation of the BJP government in the state, do the trick for BJD? The Budget session is scheduled from July 22 to September 13 in two phases.

The Concept

The shadow cabinet or shadow ministry is a feature of the Westminster system of government. The concept originated in the United Kingdom during the early 20th century. It evolved as a formalised part of the parliamentary system, particularly under the British Labour Party, to ensure that the Opposition was ready to govern if they were to win a majority.

While there is no legal or constitutional sanctity behind such a cabinet, it helps improve work in Parliament/ legislature as Opposition members maintain a sharp focus on specific subjects/ ministries and scrutinise decisions taken by the government.

This idea has since been adopted by other countries, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which have parliamentary systems.

Similar Experiments In Other States Of India

2005

The BJP-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra formed a shadow cabinet to keep the then Vilasrao Deshmukh-led Congress-NCP government on its toes. The shadow cabinet had 43 members and was headed by LoP Narayan Rane.

2014

Then LoP in Madhya Pradesh Satyadev Katare formed a shadow cabinet, comprising Congress MLAs, to keep tab on different ministries of the state government, which enhanced Opposition visibility and accountability in state legislative proceedings.

2015 

Generation Next, an NGO, announced formation of a shadow cabinet ‘to keep watch over the ‘incumbent BJP-led government’s functioning’ barely 15 months before the end of its tenure. It analysed policies of the ruling government, despite not being an official Opposition entity, and provided independent scrutiny and public discourse on governance issues.

2018

Seventeen civil society members took oath as ‘ministers’ of Kerala’s first shadow cabinet to scrutinise policies of the government. It was made up of members of the public, including several associated with social work and non-government organisations, not affiliated with the Opposition UDF. They offered critical analysis and alternative perspectives on government policies and initiatives.

2020

Eastern India’s first non-political ‘shadow government’ was formed by a group of reputed activists and intellectuals in Patna under a collective named Jago. Activist Dr Suman Lal was sworn in as ‘Chief Minister’ along with 32 other ‘ministers’.

Going by history, Naveen’s move might not be a pioneering one. But what’s more important in the Odisha context is: can the BJD effectively and truly play the role of Opposition and turn the tables on the Majhi dispensation?