Veteran Congress leader Jayanti Patnaik passes away
Bhubaneswar(PTI): Senior Congress leader and first chairperson of National Commission for Women Jayanti Patnaik died here on Wednesday. She was 90.
Jayanti Patnaik, a four-time MP and wife of late Odisha chief minister J B Patnaik, was declared dead by doctors at a hospital here, her son Pritiv Ballav Patnaik said.
Her husband and former Odisha chief minister and ex-Governor of Assam J B Patnaik had passed away in 2015.
She is survived by a son and two daughters. Jayanti Patnaik, who was married to J B Patnaik in 1953, was elected to the Lok Sabha from both Cuttack and Berhampur.
Jayanti Patnaik, who was suffering from old-age related aliment, was taken to the hospital as she did not respond in the evening, her son said, adding they were yet to decide on her funeral.
Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal condoled Jayanti Patnaik's death.
"Odisha Governor expressed his grief over the demise of former MP, senior politician and a noted writer Jayanti Patnaik. Her contribution to the field of literature will be remembered," the Raj Bhavan said in a statement.
Jayanti Patnaik was born on April 7, 1932, at Aska in Ganjam district and completed her graduation in Sociology from Shailabala Women's Autonomous College in Cuttack. She did her post graduation from Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, OPCC president Sarat Pattnayak, ex-OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik and many other dignitaries condoled her demise.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
