Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday defended the suspension of Patkura MLA Arvind Mohapatra, emphasising the party’s commitment to discipline and public service.
Addressing party workers at his residence here, Naveen said that the BJD had provided Mohapatra with an opportunity to serve the people of Patkura constituency. “However, he hindered development works and went against our interests, causing distress to the local residents. Anyone who knows me knows this clearly that those who trouble people while being in the party are thrown out,” the BJD supremo asserted, underscoring the party’s zero-tolerance policy toward actions that harm the public or undermine party principles.
He added that a good, capable leader would be chosen for the constituency.
The suspension, announced on January 15 alongside that of Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud, was attributed to “anti-party activities”. The party later detailed the charges against Mohapatra, accusing him of conspiring to undermine the BJD’s Kendrapada MP candidate
in the 2024 elections, running a “parallel unit” in his constituency with his father (veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra), avoiding party symbols and Naveen’s images in public events, and replacing loyal BJD workers with his own supporters in local positions.
BJD leaders, including spokesperson Lenin Mohanty, said that it was a conscious decision reached after months of careful consideration and feedback from grassroots workers. He even alleged a “Mid-Day Operation” conspiracy to weaken the organisation. He described the suspended MLAs as “corrupt traitors” and emphasised Patnaik’s zero-tolerance policy toward indiscipline.
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However, Mohapatra firmly rejected these allegations as baseless. He repeatedly demanded concrete evidence and full transparency from the party leadership, accusing the BJD of shifting its narrative multiple times with new claims emerging almost daily. “Stop telling maze-like stories and give straight answers. Bring proof instead of baseless allegations,” Mohapatra stated, adding that he is willing to discuss the matter directly with the party president.
The defiance also triggered protests among Mohapatra’s supporters in Kendrapada, who called for the suspension to be reconsidered, citing his developmental work in Patkura.