Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has accepted the resignation of Sasmit Patra as the leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha.
Patra, who had been serving as the BJD’s floor leader in the Upper House since 2022, tendered his resignation on April 8, amid reports of resentment from fellow MPs, who sought a change in leadership in the Upper House in a communication to the party chief. The letters by the MPs were reportedly written on April 2.
His resignation also coincided with Santrupt Misra, who is the political secretary to the BJD president, assuming office as a Rajya Sabha member recently. Party insiders said that either Misra or Manas Mangaraj could be named as the new floor leader, as both are said to enjoy the confidence of the leadership. The BJD has six members in the Upper House.
In April last year, a section of senior BJD leaders had also demanded strong action against Patra for “creating confusion” among lawmakers ahead of the voting on Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Upper House of Parliament. The turmoil began when the party, after initially announcing opposition to the bill, abruptly shifted to a “conscience vote” without a whip, causing a fractured response where Patra voted in favour, Muzibulla Khan opposed, and Debashish Samantaray abstained.
