Bhubaneswar, Aug. 28: The political landscape of Odisha has entered a period of flux following the Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) stunning defeat in the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. After ruling the state uninterrupted for 24 years, the BJD now finds itself grappling with a credibility crisis, organisational weaknesses, and an increasingly polarised debate over the role of V.K. Pandian—former bureaucrat, political strategist, and long-time aide to party president Naveen Patnaik.

At the heart of the controversy lies a simple but thorny question: can the BJD reinvent itself and rebuild public trust while Pandian’s shadow continues to loom large over its future?

THE BJP OFFENSIVE AND ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PANDIAN

The BJP, buoyed by its historic victory with 78 seats in the Assembly against the BJD’s 51, has sharpened its attacks on Pandian. BJP MLA Saroj Padhi recently alleged that Pandian continues to wield disproportionate influence within the BJD, primarily to control its estimated Rs 1,000 crore in party funds. Padhi further claimed that Pandian has systematically sidelined veteran leaders and even suggested that Naveen Patnaik’s personal security might be compromised due to his isolation from trusted associates.

The BJD has dismissed these allegations as baseless. Party spokespersons Lenin Mohanty and Tambunath Panda insist that Pandian’s retirement from politics in June 2024 does not translate into cutting ties with Patnaik. His appearances at Patnaik’s hospital discharge and subsequent recovery, they argue, were personal gestures of loyalty rather than political manoeuvres. Senior leaders like Pramila Mallik and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak have gone further, contending that the chief minister’s choice of confidants is strictly a personal matter and beyond the realm of political debate.

THE LEGACY OF THE 2024 DEFEAT

Yet, the controversy underscores the deeper fractures within the BJD. Many in the party quietly blame Pandian’s hyper-visibility during the 2024 campaign for alienating voters. His Tamil Nadu origins were effectively weaponised by the BJP, which tapped into Odia pride and portrayed him as an outsider controlling the state’s political destiny. Dissent has since spilled into the open, with senior leaders like Ranendra Pratap Swain and Debashish Samantaray openly criticising Pandian for failing to maintain transparency about Patnaik’s health.

The electoral rout not only ended an era of BJD dominance but also exposed how heavily the party had come to rely on Naveen Patnaik’s persona. Once a broad-based regional movement against corruption, nepotism, and dynastic politics, the BJD today struggles to define itself ideologically. With many of its founding stalwarts either deceased or politically sidelined, the party increasingly looks like a one-man show dependent on Patnaik’s charisma and Pandian’s organisational clout.

ORGANISATIONAL DRIFT AND GENERATIONAL CHALLENGES

Compounding these troubles are glaring organisational gaps. Key district president posts in Khurda, Balasore, Koraput, Rayagada, and Dhenkanal remain vacant, as does the women’s wing presidency, due to factional infighting. Though appointments of younger leaders like Ipsita Sahoo (student wing) and Chanmaya Sahoo (youth wing) reflect attempts at rejuvenation, these moves have not been enough to energise the party’s base.

BJD insiders admit that the party has struggled to connect with Odisha’s youth—an electorate that increasingly identifies with the BJP’s narrative of nationalism and development. Social media campaigns aimed at burnishing Pandian’s image as a key figure of the “Naveen-Pandian era” have backfired, with critics accusing them of overshadowing Patnaik’s own legacy and deepening divisions within the party.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The BJD’s immediate task is twofold: to reconcile internal factions and to rebuild its grassroots connect. Naveen Patnaik continues to command respect as Odisha’s tallest leader, but his centralised style of functioning—once the party’s greatest strength—now risks becoming its Achilles’ heel. The perception that Patnaik depends on a narrow circle of advisers, particularly Pandian, has alienated sections of the cadre who feel excluded from decision-making.

Meanwhile, the BJP shows no signs of letting up. By keeping the focus on Pandian’s alleged influence and raising questions about the management of party funds, it has found an effective tool to keep the BJD on the defensive. Allegations of vote rigging and manipulation during the BJD’s last tenure in power only add to the narrative of mistrust.

The BJD is at a crossroads. Its survival as a formidable political force will depend on how effectively it can redefine its identity, decentralise leadership, and reconnect with voters beyond the aura of Naveen Patnaik. The looming Panchayat elections in 2027 and the general elections in 2029 will test whether the party can evolve or whether the unresolved “Pandian question” will continue to erode its credibility.

For now, the BJD’s dilemma is stark: to embrace continuity at the risk of further alienation, or to undertake painful reforms that might dilute Pandian’s influence but restore its grassroots appeal. In either case, the party’s path to regaining public trust will be neither easy nor swift.

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