Naveen Patnaik's political presence diminishing amidst internal rifts!

BJD chief Naveen Patnaik appears to be less of a political powerhouse than he once used to be. The party, which has thrived under his leadership, is now facing uncertainty about its future trajectory. 

After two Rajya Sabha MPs leaving BJD and embracing BJP, the conch party is said to be fast losing its ground. 

If the drubbing in the general election 2024 was not enough, BJD’s two Rajya Sabha members-Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar-delivered the party the unkindest pain from within the party by leaving the party and subsequently joining the saffron team. 

Also Read: Odisha: EX-BJD MP Sujeet Kumar elected to Rajya Sabha as BJP candidate unopposed

The situation has come to such a pass that its membership drive has virtually dashed to the ground. 

According to sources close to political developments, after coming to know that the party’s organizational strength is caving in, Naveen Patnaik, the party chief, is endeavouring to consolidate the party's stability by engaging dialogue with both current and former legislative members. This move comes at a time when the party is navigating various internal challenges and diminishing influence on a national scale. 

At the same time, the party is also losing its presence in national politics. While the party failed to win any seats in general elections in 2024, its Rajya Sabha tally is also decreasing with members deserting the party one after another. 

BJD’s presence in the Rajya Sabha has reduced from nine to seven. 

Sources also confirmed that some leaders have informed Patnaik that the party’s lack of a clear direction is adversely impacting the party's effectiveness at the grassroots level.

In such a situation, the BJD leaders are saying that they have been maintaining equidistance and claiming that the leaders who have deserted BJD are not capable of winning even a councillor election. 

“Our stance is very clear. We have been maintaining equidistance from both national parties. We have so many players that they are available immediately,” said senior BJD leader Bhupinder Singh. 

Must Read: FIR lodged against BJD MP Munna Khan over comments on Odia prayer

“If any one of Mamata Mohanta or Sujeet Kumar contests the Panchayat poll in their respective areas, they can’t win. They went to the Rajya Sabha by the grace of our party president Naveen Patnaik. We are very clear that our leader is Naveen Patnaik and our aim is Odisha’s interest,” said BJD leader Debesh Acharya. 

On the other hand, BJP leaders are claiming that two from BJD have joined their party and two are in the pipeline. There will be no sign of BJD in future, they said. 

“They had started a membership drive. They should analyse how many leaders visited villages and how many members they added. After Sujeet Kumar, two more are going to leave BJD. If Naveen Babu has courage, he should show it by stopping them from defecting. The citadel of BJD is crumbling,” said BJP MLA Ashok Mohanty.  

BJD is still uncertain about its position concerning the 'No Confidence Motion' against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative. Nonetheless, recent interactions between Dhankhar and several MPs, including Manas Mangaraj, Niranjan Bishi, and Subhashish Khuntia, have sparked extensive discussions in political circles. 

Typically, the regional parties nationwide are aligned with either the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDI Alliance). However, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Naveen Patnaik, appears to be diverging from this trend. Patnaik has recently indicated that the party is still deliberating internally regarding their stance on the No Confidence Motion.

“We are examining it. We will take whatever steps are necessary,” said Naveen Patnaik while replying to the queries of journalists on the No Confidence Motion against the Vice President on December 10, 2024. 

On BJD’s situation, political analyst Prasanna Mohanty said, “As the party’s clarity is not there, the MPs are getting confused. As a result, they are meeting Naveen Patnaik but not getting any clear answer from him. It is not limited to MPs and MLAs. It has now gone to the grassroots level that BJD is not in a situation to take any clear-cut stand. It will cause more trouble to the party.”