Bhubaneswar: In a rare display of dissent, senior BJD leader Debashish Samantaray has publicly declined the post of vice-president of the party’s Senior Citizen Cell, calling the designation ‘demeaning and humiliating’.
Samantaray, in a letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, said he would not like to be reduced to bureaucratic titles and would continue to serve as a dedicated worker of the party.
“I am unable to accept the responsibility IN THE RANK OF VICE PRESIDENT of Senior Citizens Cell. I will always remain merely a worker of BJD and will always remain committed to the Biju-Naveen line of thought and action,” he wrote, stressing the ‘insignificant’ position in ‘caps’ for a senior leader in the organisational structure.
The Rajya Sabha member, who looked after party organisation in Cuttack, also questioned the relevance of loyalists and veterans in the party. “Sir, I doubt that there is any place for loyalists of legendary Biju Babu or your loyalists, who have stood like rock behind your long and illustrious political career.”
While expressing his unwavering loyalty to Naveen despite conflicting views, he emphasised that the party is toeing “a new line of thought, ideology and action”, deviating from t
he Biju legacy.
“After careful introspection, I feel rather disappointed despite my unflinching loyalty for you. Not merely for me, but for the thousands of workers of the BJD, you still remain our only hope in future. I am sure under your leadership, we will regain the confidence of millions of people of our state,” he said.
While not naming anyone directly, he further asserted that the party had refused to confront the real reasons for the 2024 electoral debacle.
“Since our electoral poll debacle last year, following the post electoral scenario, the party has failed to accept the cause or to take remedial measures. Strangely the reason is on the lips of every worker and supporter of the party, besides our desperate submissions, the party has struggled to accept the reality. Wins and losses are natural to elections. However, we lost despite a popular Chief Minister. Every BJD cadre and leader, whether they speak out or not, know the cause behind our defeat in 2024 and earnestly hope that you will thwart any attempt being made to weaken our party, almost as if, there is a design to it. I request your personal attention to tide over the present situation in the party,” he added.
While the letter has sparked conversations in political circles about growing unease within the BJD, the party leadership is yet to issue an official response to Samantaray’s latest outburt over the party’s functioning after the electoral setback.
Recently, he had come out openly in support of party leader Shreemayee Mishra over her recent ‘Sanyasi’ remarks widely perceived as a veiled attack on V K Pandian, a close aide of the former CM. Samantaray had also abstained during the voting on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in Rajya Sabha in protest against what he described as BJD’s “sudden volte-face”, signaling at a serious rift within the party.