Watering Vote Bank

The Mahanadi and the Polavaram issues would come in handy for Naveen Patnaik in strengthening his vote base.

- Lalit Pattajoshi

In six months, Naveen Patnaik will complete 17 years as chief minister of Odisha. A record none of his predecessors could boast, including his father, the legendary Biju Patnaik, on whose birthday Naveen took oath of office on March 5, 2000. Naveen is in his fourth straight term as chief minister, and water disputes with neighbouring states could help him sail into a fifth term in 2019. The barrages being built in the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh and the plan to construct the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh have raised passions in Odisha.

Odisha has been opposing the Polavaram project saying more than 206 villages in its Malkangiri and Rayagada districts would be inundated by the backwaters of the proposed dam, which the Centre has declared as a national project.

Regarding the Mahanadi, Odisha says Chhattisgarh is building barrages without consulting it. Odisha says the barrages would reduce water flow into the state. The Mahanadi, which originates in Chhattisgarh, flows through Odisha. Said Naveen, “The Mahanadi is the lifeline of Odisha and 65 per cent of our population is dependent on it, as this river touches 16 out of the 30 districts in the state.”

The political climate in Odisha is hotting up in the water issue. The principal opposition party, the Congress, has been critical of the ruling Biju Janata Dal’s handling of the issue.

The Congress, however, has suffered an erosion of strength, having had a series of defeats in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The BJP is active, as it is in power at the Centre, and hopes to replace the Congress, if not displace the BJD.