Bhubaneswar: Supporters of Odisha MLA Arvind Mohapatra staged a demonstration outside the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) state headquarters in Bhubaneswar on Friday, protesting his suspension from the regional party.
A large number of supporters of Mohapatra, the MLA from Patkura in Kendrapada district, arrived in the capital city by bus and gathered outside the BJD office, Sankha Bhawan. The demonstrators raised slogans against the suspension of Mohapatra and demanded immediate roll back of the order.
Notably, BJD president Naveen Patnaik suspended Mohapatra from the party last week on charges of anti-party activities. Party leaders alleged that Mohapatra and his father, Bijoy Mohapatra, were running a parallel unit in Patkura and had conspired to defeat BJD’s Kendrapada MP candidate Anshuman Mohanty during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. They were also accused of misusing party symbols, sidelining grassroots workers, and indulging in corruption.
However, Mohapatra has rejected the allegations as False, baseless and politically motivated. He challenged Naveen Patnaik to an open debate and claimed that there was a conspiracy behind his suspension from the BJD.
Meanwhile, security was tightened around Naveen Niwas, the residence of the BJD chief, amid apprehensions that Mohapatra’s supporters may march towards the premises. Additional force, including home guards, were deployed to maintain order and prevent any untoward incident.
The suspension has triggered fresh unrest within the BJD, raising questions about internal discipline and leadership control. While police have not issued an official statement, they confirmed that security has been intensified to monitor the situation closely.
This development has added a new layer of tension to Odisha’s political landscape, with dissent inside the ruling party becoming increasingly visible.
