Congress MLA Tara Bahinipati claims internal rift, leadership crisis in BJD; hidden BJP alliance

Odisha politics heated up dramatically as senior Congress leader and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati dropped a political bombshell against the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), alleging deep internal cracks within the party and accusing it of having a long-standing covert alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2000.

In a scathing statement to the media, Bahinipati claimed that the BJD is a divided house, where two distinct groups have emerged – one loyal to Biju Patnaik’s ideology and the other reportedly under the control of bureaucrat-turned-political strategist V. Karthikeyan Pandian. 

“The party no longer represents the original Biju legacy. It’s now driven by one man’s agenda – Pandian,” Bahinipati alleged.

"Drama Politics": BJD-BJP's Hidden Nexus?

The Congress MLA further intensified his attack, stating that BJD has been secretly aligned with BJP since 2000, while theatrically pretending to oppose it in public. 

“The drama they do in Odisha is very different from their behaviour in Parliament. Though they claim to oppose BJP, they have silently supported it at every critical juncture,” he said.

He emphasized that BJD does not officially hold power at the Centre, yet it continues to back BJP in Parliament. “This is not out of love but fear,” Bahinipati claimed.

"Fear, Not Love, Drives BJD's BJP Support"

“The BJD’s affection for BJP is not a political chemistry, it is political compulsion,” Bahinipati asserted while predicting early demise of BJD’s political dominance, stating that the party’s survival is on thin ice.

These sharp remarks come at a time when BJD faces internal criticism over its recent stance in Parliament, especially regarding the Waqf Bill and other national matters, which have drawn dissent even from its own MLAs and MPs.

No comments could be obtained from BJD and BJP leaders over the statements made by the Congress MLA.