Bhubaneswar: Discontent is seemingly brewing within the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with senior leaders voicing dissatisfaction in public over the party’s state of affairs. Former minister Prafulla Mallik on Friday became the latest to express his concerns, quick on the heels of Ghasipura MLA Badrinarayan Patra and former minister Ashok Panda. This clearly indicates that all is not well in the regional party, which ruled Odisha for 24 years.
While none dared to question the top leadership in the last 24 years, the debacle in the 2024 twin polls exposed the fissures within the party. This was particularly evident during the Waqf Bill voting earlier this year.
The recent explosive statements followed two back-to-back videos, which again put bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, a close aide of BJD president Naveen Patnaik, in the spotlight. The first, on August 20, showed the Leader of Opposition & former CM holding Pandian’s hand after being discharged from hospital, triggering speculation about the latter’s possible future role in the party. Within 24 hours, another video surfaced, showing doctors briefing Naveen’s elder brother, Prem Patnaik, on his health condition in presence of the former IAS officer.
On Friday, Mallik decried the lack of ideology in the party and how it has failed to perform the role of a responsible Opposition in the state. The former minister further indicated that he might distance himself from the party in the future. “I am no longer associated with the party activities,” he told the media.
However, this is not the first time that the four-time MLA has made such public statements on the functioning of the party.
In April, Mallik disapproved of the party president’s statement criticising a “casual get-together” of party leaders in a hotel. He had then asserted that it was not an anti-party activity and none can dictate where one person would meet another. He was also conspicuous by his absence when the BJD formally announced Naveen’s re-election as party president for the ninth term.
What did Badri Patra say?
On August 27, Ghasipura MLA Badrinarayan Patra stirred a political debate by publicly criticising the BJD leadership and its disconnect with grassroots workers. “The top leadership is failing to inspire confidence, causing grassroots workers to leave the party,” he said.
He also attributed the party’s electoral losses to internal power struggles and flawed decision-making.
When asked about the much-speculated entry of Sujata R Karthikeyan, a former IAS officer and wife of Pandian, into the party fold, Patra diplomatically replied, “The BJD is a large party. Is there not enough room to accommodate more members?”
However, he emphasised the need for clarity on roles and responsibilities within the party. “Certain individuals entrusted with party responsibilities are overstepping their limits, leading to increasing internal conflict and a widening rift within the organisation,” he added.
Ashok’s ‘Laxman Rekha’ Remark
A day later, Bhubaneswar BJD president Ashok Panda stressed that Naveen is not anyone’s personal property.
Drawing an analogy from Ramayana, Panda compared party discipline to the Laxman Rekha that Lakshman drew to protect Sita, emphasising that such boundaries are essential for maintaining order and harmony within BJD. “With 51 MLAs and 41% of the vote share in the 2024 elections, BJD should become more organised. The party cannot function by catering to a specific group. No one should cross the ‘Laxman Rekha’,” he said.
Earlier, Debasish Samantaray and Ranendra Pratap Swain had stirred the hornets’ nest with statements highlighting their displeasure.
While the first significant signs of discontent emerged in the wake of a change in the party’s stand over the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, it seems to be growing with every passing day. The disgruntled leaders may now be considering alternatives too amid talks of the possibility of a new regional outfit fuelled by the recent meeting of several former leaders of BJD at Olasuni in Jajpur district.
A difficult situation is staring Naveen in the face. He had defused a similar crisis in 2002 when six rebel MPs wrote to the then Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, urging him to recognise them as the “real” BJD parliamentary group, and then led the party to successive Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, completing five consecutive terms as the CM. However, the scenario is different now as Naveen grapples with electoral loss and health issues.
It will be interesting to see how the former CM, who has in the past vehemently defended Pandian, quell the simmering discontent among a section of the BJD.