'Our merger with Odisha a big mistake!' BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra courts controversy

Senior BJP leader and MLA Jayanarayan Mishra stirred a controversy with his recent remarks regarding the formation of Odisha. 

Speaking at the event organised for the disbursement of second instalment of BJP government’s flagship programme Subhadra Yojana in Sambalpur, Mishra stated that the merger of Koshala during the formation of Odisha was a mistake.

According to Mishra, ‘Utkal’ primarily refers to Cuttack, Puri, and Balasore, while the state of Odisha was created by the merger of Utkal, Koshala, and Kalinga. 

He alleged that regions like Koshala and Kalinga have been neglected and exploited, while only Utkal receives recognition.

The senior BJP leader also expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of representation for Koshala and Kalinga in Odisha’s cultural and political discourse. 

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“The people of Sambalpur must know that Utkal refers to Cuttack, Puri and Balasore. Odisha formed after the merger of Utkala, Koshala and Kalinga. We are being exploited. We participated in the movement for our merger with Odisha. But this was our biggest mistake,” Mishra said.

While his statement has triggered a political debate, the state government has yet to issue any official response to his remarks.