Increasing challenges to BJD in Odisha; Many senior BJD leaders quit party in the last few days

Bhubaneshwar, Mar 21: With Naveen Patnaik leadership, BJD, a regional party from Odisha won 4 successive assembly elections since 2000 with the rise in seats every time. But for first time BJD has some major challenges as at least dozen of senior leaders abandon the party in the last few days.

These senior leaders include 3 sitting MPs, 4 sitting MLAs. BJD is the first party to present the list of candidates for the first phase of elections in Odisha assembly. Odisha would see concurrent polls to the Assembly and Lok Sabha on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

Due to this situation, for the first time in the decades, the ruling BJD face tough challenges from BJP and the Congress with the package of disapproval from within the party.

Sitting MLAs from Dasapalla, Aska, Gunupur, and Nilagiri resigned from the BJD while sitting MPs from Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Nabarangpur resigned from the party after being ignored during the nomination process.

Former party MLA from Paralakhemundi, K Narayan Rao alleged that though he had built the organization in his area for the last 20 years, he was ignored at the behest of certain sections of the party.

BJD Daspalla MLA Purnachandra Nayak who quit the party alleged that a person who embezzled over Rs 7 crore money meant for the tribal and backward community was given a ticket. “BJD has become a home to corrupt people more than those fighting corruption,” Nayak alleged.

As per the political analysts, the first time so many people were quitting BJD during the election.

The main reason behind these challenges is, in the past, not many party men questioned the supremacy or leadership of Naveen Patnaik but with the rise of BJP in the center, those who denied to have a post or tickets, now ready for catch new opportunity.

But as we can see the hold of BJD in Odisha, the prospect can be changed in the coming future.

The opposition BJP, which has set a mission of winning 120 of the 147 assembly seats and more than a dozen of the Lok Sabha seats, has been the biggest beneficiary of the departure from BJD.

On this situation, BJP spokesperson Sameer Mohanty said, “the desertions shows that the winds of change against BJD have started blowing in Odisha. Our party would be strengthened by the joining of the BJD leaders”.