Sandeep Mishra, TNN Dec 26, 2012, 07.25AM IST 
BHUBANESWAR: Fifteen years back on December 26 when the Biju Janata Dal as a new political party was born in Odisha, many doubted its longevity. The apprehension was not without reason. For, Biju Patnaik was no more and his son, Naveen, hesitatingly set his foot in politics and was installed as head of the regional party.
As the BJD celebrates its birthday on Wednesday, a close look at the party reveals Naveen proving all speculations about him wrong. He has not only established himself as a leader of consequence but has also been able to outperform his illustrious father Biju Patnaik. It is beside the point whether he has lived up to the expectations of the people or has been able to create the kind of impact and clout Patnaik Senior had at the national level. "Naveen has been very popular in Odisha, but it would not be fair to compare everything that he does with Biju babu. Both have different approaches and have made their mark on the national stage in different ways," says BJD vice president and health minister Damodar Rout.
Naveen's bete noire Bijay Mohapatra, who was close to Biju but fell out with Naveen, has a different take, "Naveen has had no impact on the national scene. He has zero clout compared to Biju babu and continues to move around in the Delhi circle in his father's name."
Rout, who has worked closely both with the father and son, does not agree. "Naveen has impacted national politics on certain occasions like when he spearheaded the non-Congress CMs' campaign against the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in February, 2012, and also when he propped up P A Sangma as a candidate for presidential elections earlier this year," he notes.
BJD insiders feel if Biju was a factor on the national political firmament, Naveen's focus on state politics has earned him rich dividends. While Patnaik Senior was the state's executive head for seven years, his son has already completed 12-and-a-half years as chief minister.
Biju was CM in the 1960s and had to wait for about three decades to return to power in the state. In the interim period, he spent a good amount of time cultivating his national image. But Naveen has been in power from the day he entered politics; from being a Union minister to three consecutive terms as CM. Where was the opportunity for him to become a bigger national player?" defends a BJD leader requesting anonymity.
"Because of his personality, Biju attracted people at the national level and was acceptable as a leader. The same has not happened for Naveen, who has been trying to play a larger national role but not been able to sustain the efforts because of various reasons, including compulsions of state politics," opines professor of sociology, Utkal University, Anup Dash.
Political scientist, Surya Narayan Misra, believes Biju and Naveen are not "comparable commodities" if their personalities, dynamism and leadership potential are taken into account.
Senior Congress leader Kailas Acharya points out that Biju and Naveen have taken opposite routes to politics.
"While Biju grew as a national leader and came to state politics, Naveen had nothing to do with political life till his father's demise and has been mostly confined to state politics," he explains.
"Biju was accepted as a national leader, but Naveen does not figure anywhere with prominence at the all-India level; he has been a state player," he observes.
Mohapatra, who was a powerful minister in Biju's cabinet in the early Nineties but Naveen removed him from BJD in 2000, feels Biju was "highly dynamic" and commanded respect across the political spectrum. "One cannot say the same about Naveen.
His attempted to move to the national centrestage during the anti-NCTC stir and the presidential polls fizzled out. He has thus far not been a weak leader but not able to make his presence felt either," he contends.
Supplements Misra, "Biju created a space for himself in national politics; he was a natural.
Naveen has simply inherited his father's legacy and seemingly lacks Biju babu's dynamism and vision."
