Odisha: Naveen Patnaik Calls for Unity Among BJD MLAs

Bhubaneswar: Amid speculations of a growing crisis of cohesion among the 51 MLAs of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the regional party’s president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday appealed to the legislators to stay united and work hard to make a comeback in 2029.

The BJD which ruled the state for over 24 years lost power to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently held assembly polls. The party won 51 of the 147 seats as against 74 bagged by the BJP.

Patnaik's sudden call for unity has added to fuels to the speculation of growing discontentment in the BJD Legislature Party (BJDLP) over the influence of V Karthikeyan Pandian, a Tamil Nadu-born bureaucrat-turned BJD politician who overtly managed the party affairs and interfered in the governance system, thereby drawing public wrath that led to the fall of the government.

“You all know that the BJP in Odisha has got four seats more than the majority mark of 74 in the 147-member State Assembly. In Delhi, the BJP is running a minority government. Hence, you should work hard, stay united, and strengthen the party," Patnaik told party workers.

Several theories are now doing rounds over such statements from the BJD president. Has Naveen Patnaik got some inkling about leaders deserting the party? Is Naveen Patnaik worried whether the party will disintegrate? Are workers angry over a clean chit to VK Pandian?

Soon after the results were announced, the angry BJD workers attributed the party's loss to V Karthikeyan Pandian and even raised slogans against him. Taking accountability, Pandian subsequently announced his retirement from active politics. However, it is said that Pandian's dominance still prevails in the party which has aggravated the resentment in the party.

However, Banki MLA Debiranjan Tripathy dismissed the reports of disintegration in the party and said, "Discussion is being done to strengthen the party and serve the people of the state."

Regarding not winning a single Lok Sabha seat, BJD leader Ranendra Swain said that it was an internal matter and that he had shared his views with Naveen Patnaik.

Senior journalist Gouranga Charan Rout said, "Naveen Patnaik’s remarks show that all is not well within the BJD. The party seems to be heading towards instability. Though it was said that the party would review the poll debacle, nothing has been done. VK Pandian is said to have led the party towards the poll debacle, but the BJD president gave him a clean chit saying that he had no committed no wrongs during the election campaign. This has led to resentment with the party."