The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) suffered another blow with senior leader and former Rajya Sabha member N Bhaskar Rao resigning from the primary membership of the party on Tuesday.
Rao, a founding member of the party with considerable influence in the tribal-dominated Rayagada district, announced his resignation and questioned the manner in which the party is being run. Former minister Lal Bihari Himirika, considered close to Rao, and several other local leaders also quit the party.
Sources said Rao was unhappy with the party’s decision to appoint Jagannath Saraka as the new Rayagada unit president.
“I have taken the decision to quit the party by respecting the sentiments of our workers, who are everything for us. I don’t want to comment against anybody. I will also not join any other party. To carry out our social service in the district, we have formed Biju Swabhiman Mancha,” said Rao.
Rao’s exit from the BJD seems to be a big setback for the regional party as the senior leader has a strong following in all three Assembly segments in Rayagada. Rao’s followers hold key positions in the local bodies in the district.
Rayagada’s all three Assembly seats went to the Congress in 2024 even as it was considered a BJD stronghold. Experts say infighting and discontent over candidate selection led to BJD’s undoing.
With party president Naveen Patnaik not very active in politics due to his advanced age, the BJD has been going through turbulent times with senior leaders openly questioning the party brass over handling of the party affairs. Former minister Prafulla Mallik, ex-MLA Bhupinder Singh and Rajya Sabha member Debashish Samantaray have been vocal against the party over the issue. Sources said many leaders might leave the party in the days to come.
Story continues below this ad
The BJD’s decision to abstain from the voting in the Vice-Presidential poll has also not gone down well with many senior BJD leaders as they said the party should have voted against the NDA nominee. Former BJD Lok Sabha member Tathagata Satpathy, though not active in politics anymore, also took a dig at the party on the issue. “Orissa’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), by deciding not to vote in tomorrow’s Vice Prez election, seems to have hara kiri-ed its total political existence…whatever little remained,” Satpathy had posted on X on Monday.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd