With his suspension from the BJD for “anti-party activities” on Friday, senior leader Prafulla Kumar Mallik has joined the ranks of veterans who have faced the axe for questioning the party’s functioning, though none has directly challenged party chief Naveen Patnaik’s leadership.
Mallik, 78, a four-time MLA once considered a loyalist of Patnaik, was sidelined from organisational affairs after his defeat in the 2024 Assembly polls. In recent weeks, he had accused the BJD of failing to perform as a responsible Opposition.
While sources in the BJD said that Mallik’s suspension will serve as a warning to disgruntled leaders “to fall in line”, party spokesperson Lelin Mohanty said, “Action against Mallik would be enough to set an example for leaders who are trying to damage the party on the pretext of their seniority. The BJD is better off without such leaders.”
Mallik’s suspension comes close on the heels of the resignations of senior leaders N Bhaskar Rao, a former Rajya Sabha MP, and ex-minister Lal Bihari Himirika, both of whom quit over dissatisfaction with the party’s functioning.
Though Patnaik has rarely faced open dissent since taking over the BJD in 1997 at the age of 51 after his father and former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik’s death, the latest rumblings highlight growing unease within the regional party.
In May 2012, Patnaik survived an attempted coup allegedly plotted by his then adviser Pyarimohan Mohapatra while he was away on an official visit to London. Patnaik not only put down the rebellion but also led the BJD to landslide victories in 2014 and 2019.
Discontent within the BJD resurfaced after the rise of former bureaucrat V K Pandian, who served as Patnaik’s private secretary before emerging as his closest political aide. Several leaders accused him of sidelining veterans and creating a new power centre. Although Pandian formally announced his retirement from politics after the 2024 polls, his influence remains a sore point for many.
Over the years, the BJD has acted against several prominent figures. In 2018, party founding member Baijayant “Jay” Panda was suspended for criticising the emergence of a “Pandian-led coterie”. He later joined the BJP, losing the Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat in 2019 but winning it back in 2024.
Veteran leader Damodar Rout was expelled from the BJD in September 2018 after alleging that the party was being run by one bureaucrat and a few MLAs. While Rout subsequently joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls, his son remained with the BJD and won the 2019 elections. The BJD revoked Rout’s expulsion in January last year but he died two months later at the age of 81.
In 2020, three-time MLA and former minister Pradeep Panigrahy, once considered Patnaik’s trusted lieutenant, was expelled for “anti-people activities” following a fallout with Pandian. He later joined the BJP and won the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat in 2024. His exit dealt a blow to the BJD in its stronghold of Ganjam, where the party managed to win only one of the 13 Assembly seats.
The BJD’s loss of power in 2024 has only sharpened the internal divisions. With Patnaik in his late 70s and recently recovering from surgery, his reduced involvement in organisational matters has left a vacuum. Senior leaders have openly expressed discontent over key decisions, including the party’s support to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. Tensions grew in April when the BJD allowed its MPs to vote “according to their conscience” on the Waqf Bill, despite opposing it during the discussion.
The same month, a group of veterans met in Bhubaneswar, warning against “outside forces weakening Patnaik’s leadership” — a veiled reference to Pandian. In response, Patnaik reconstituted the party’s political affairs committee to broaden consultations, but seniors alleged the panel was still dominated by loyalists.
For the BJD, the immediate challenge is to redefine its role in Opposition. Several leaders believe the party must sharpen its stand against the BJP, both in Odisha and nationally, to recover lost ground. “The BJD’s future depends on fighting strongly for Odisha’s interests,” a senior leader said.
Mallik’s suspension also underscores the balancing act facing Patnaik: reasserting control over the organisation while preparing the party for a comeback.