Subdued Holi for political parties

BHUBANESWAR: The dramatic political developments in the state during the past week visibly impacted Holi celebrations by different political parties on Thursday. Even though elections are around a month away, the festival of colours was celebrated in a subdued manner in political circles.
Chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who lost his mother Gyan Patnaik last month, chose not to take part in the festival revelry.This apparently lessened celebrations in the ruling party, which is caught in controversy following its trust vote victory on Wednesday.
"Many BJD leaders did not want to celebrate because the chief minister was not taking part. What with ticket distribution for the polls expected to start shortly, the reason for netas behaving in such manner is obvious," quipped a BJD insider at the almost deserted party headquarters here.
The BJP camp attempted to camouflage the "shock" it got from Naveen last Saturday and indulged in revelry. Senior party leaders including state president Suresh Pujari, B B Harichandan, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prasanna Mishra were seem participating in the celebrations. "The break in the alliance was certainly unexpected, but nevertheless Holi is an occasion which we celebrate together every year. And we did the same on Thursday," BJP leader Sameer Mohanty said.
Harichandan, however, made apparent his bitterness about Naveen's "unilateral" decision to call off the 11-year-old coalition. "There will certainly be new colour in the state. No inefficient government can continue anymore," the ex-industries minister remarked, adding, Those who will protect Orissa's self-respect need to take charge."
BJD leaders, in turn, predicted sweet tidings for the regional party. "The Holi war will throw away conspirators and those trying to push Orissa backward," said Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, in an oblique attack on the BJP. BJD chief spokesperson Damodar Rout said Holi will make BJD "rangeela" and predicted that Naveen will emerge victorious in the coming polls.
Amidst the verbal duel between the former allies, Congress leaders hoped that the festival will usher in "new colour" for the grand old party. Some party leaders participated in revelry at the party office here, but the celebrations lacked lustre because of the conspicuous absence of senior leaders like OPCC chief K P Singhdeo, ex-OPCC president Jayadev Jena and ex-CM J B Patnaik. Some other Congress men however made merry on the occasion and exuded confidence that their party would regain power in the forthcoming elections.