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Srikant Jena may join Congress

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Former Union minister Srikant Jena of the Janata Dal-S has made up his mind to join the Congress to crush the 'communal' Bharatiya Janata Party-Biju Janata Dal alliance in the state.

Sources disclosed that Jena would join 'before or after the Lok Sabha election.'

Jena, for his part, said, "I cannot say no, but at the same time I can't confirm it today."

Jena's plan comes as a surprise. The Congress was his main rival till a few years ago. He made it clear that the political equations have changed in such a way that there was no option but join with the Congress "to strengthen the secular democratic forces and defeat the communal forces."

"As a responsible leader of the JD-S, I am trying my best to consolidate the secular and democratic forces. If I fail, I may join the Congress," he said. "It is a fact that the JD-S along with the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist cannot defeat the communal alliance in Orissa because we are not a big force."

"Here and there we have some pockets of influence but it is not adequate to defeat the BJP-BJD " he observed. "Unless we join hands, it is not possible to check the growth of the communal forces."

Jena for the last few months had been exhibiting a pro-Congress mood, which kicked up a lot of dust in the state unit of the Janata Dal before it split for the second time early this month by keeping himself away from the state unit.

Jena's first major setback was the death of his mentor Biju Patnaik. He started losing his grip on state politics after the vertical split in the Janata Dal in Orissa in December 1997, when the majority of the JD MLAs joined the BJD under the leadership of Biju Patnaik's younger socialite son, Naveen Patnaik.

The formation of the BJD and its alliance with the BJP proved very costly for Jena. He lost the last Lok Sabha election from Kendarapara, which had sent him to Parliament in 1996. In the 1998 election, Jena lost his deposit against the BJD-BJP candidate. That was the beginning of his downfall.

Jena made the mistake of not taking any interest in the JD Orissa unit. It weakened the party and created more rift among its leaders. The 13 MLAs of the Janata Dal were divided over joining hands with the BJD-BJP. But changing equations at the national level forced a split in the party. The state JD unit also formally split with 10 MLAs out of the 13 siding with the JD-U of Sharad Yadav, and the remaining standing behind the JD-S.

With all these developments, Jena knew it well that the JD-S would be left far behind.

Once known as the 'Hero of elections' and 'Giant killer', Jena was catapulted to national politics by Biju Patnaik. In his 20-odd years in politics, he has only lost one election -- in 1998. His first win was in the 1977 assembly poll. He was a legislator till 1985. In the 1989 and 1991 Lok Sabha elections, from Cuttack he defeated former chief minister J B Patnaik and his wife Jaynti Patnaik respectively, with a big margin. It was in 1996 that he shifted from Cuttack to Kenderapara.

Sources said that Jena was in touch with the Congress leadership.

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