Berhampur: Former royal or Parala Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deb as he is popularly known was a key personality and regarded as one of the architects of an independent united Odisha province formed on the basis of amalgamation of Odia speaking areas in the then Orissa-Bihar-Bengal province, a report said. The state celebrated his birth anniversary, Tuesday.
He became the first Prime Minister of Odisha representing undivided Ganjam district and remained in power for three-and-a-half months. Later, Biswanath Das also from the undivided Ganjam district made became the second Prime Minister of an independent Odisha.
Parala Maharaja was born April 26, 1892 and breathed his last May 25, 1974. However, his contribution to the freedom struggle and the rich legacy he left behind him makes him a person to be remembered for ever.
He was one of the key personalities in the formation of an independent Odisha state formed on the basis of Odia language. He attended the roundtable conference held in England by the British government and advocated for the formation of an independent Odisha state. As a result, the England Parliament passed a law to govern India in 1935.
This law helped Odisha to become an independent state on the basis of language. Consequently, an independent state of Odisha was formed April 1, 1936. Soon an intense power struggle started to wrest control over the newly-formed state.
As per rule framed by the British government it was decided that the Odisha Assembly would have 60 seats. Members for four seats out of the 60 will be nominated by the then Governor while the elections will be held for the rest 56 seats.
In an independent Odisha, the first elections were held in 1937. This sowed the seeds of factionalism and politics of leg pulling within Congress. The Maharaja, who was very much a man of principle, moved away from Congress and floated a separate political party to contest in the elections.
He named the new party as ‘National Party’. His party won in 13 seats while Congress won in 37 seats. The United Party headed by Kanika royal Rajendra Narayan won in six seats.
Pandit Nilakantha Das was then the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President. As per the election results, Congress was expected to form the government as the largest party but it failed to do so due to intense factional war within the party. Later, the Governor invited the Parala Maharaja to form the government as the second largest party.
As a result, Parala Maharaja took oath as the first Prime Minister (now Chief Minister) of Odisha April 1, 1937 with only three persons in his ministry. The National Party government lasted for only three months and 18 days and Parala Maharaja lost his power, July 19, 1937.
In the changed political scenario, Das became the second Prime Minister of Odisha. Both the Parala Maharaja and Das made Ganjam district proud by becoming the first and second Prime Ministers of Odisha.
