Ahead of 2024 polls, cracks in BJD deepen; top leadership tense

As the 2024 elections are drawing closer, the infighting in the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha continues to deepen. Legislators and their rival groups were seen celebrating the party’s 26th foundation day separately at different places on Tuesday. 

This has become a headache for the BJD amid reported efforts to keep the flock together ahead of the upcoming elections.

In the Kakatpur constituency, the ruling party is reportedly a divided house with Minister Tusharkanti Behera and former legislator Sura Sethi leading two separate camps. The two leaders garlanded the statue of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik separately. Not only that, the blood donation and beach cleanliness drives were conducted separately by the workers and leaders of the two factions. 

Minister Tusharkanti Behera said that the party organised a blood donation camp under Jeevan Bindu at Konark to celebrate the foundation day, while  Sura Sethi said that he was not involved in the blood donation camp. Sethi added that he along with his supporters garlanded the statue of former CM Biju Patnaik separately. 

The party has also two factions in Nilagiri constituency in Balasore. Subhendu Mangaraj, a BJD leader, who is in the race for a party ticket, led a mass marathon from the Jagannath temple. About half an hour later, former MLA nominee of the BJD, Santosh Khatua organised another mass marathon at the same place.  

However, Subhendu denied that his program was in competition against anyone. Khatua observed that there are no restrictions on people loving Biju Patnaik’s ideals and the administration of CM Naveen Patnaik while celebrating the party’s foundation day.   

The situation of the party is no different in Soro Assembly Constituency. A camp led by MLA Parsuram Dhada celebrated the party’s foundation day at one place while his rival camp organised programme at Kharaspur in Bahanaga. 

The ruling party is also a split house in Balikuda-Erasama constituency with one camp being led by MLA Raghunanadan Das and the other by BJD leader Sanjib Biswal.

Raghunadan organised a blood donation camp at Karkei Hatapadia while Biswal held a separate camp at Ambashala Kalyan Mandap.   

The workers of the two camps shouted slogans against each other. The internecine squabble is also getting acute in western Odisha. In Loisinga, the BJD’s foundation day was celebrated by a faction led by former Minister Jogendra Behera’s son Nihar Behera. A separate programme was also organised by his rival party workers. 

The party has already faced a humiliating defeat in Dhamnagar bypoll due to rebel candidate Raju Dash. Hence, the widening cracks in the party have thrown up challenges for the top leadership.