Argus News - Nuapada Defeat Sparks Rebellion in BJD as Elina Dash Targets Leadership

Bhubaneswar, Nov 16: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is facing internal turbulence following its crushing defeat in the Nuapada by-election. Senior leaders and party members have taken to social media to openly criticize the leadership and organizational lapses, sparking a wave of dissent within the ruling party.

BJD leader Elina Dash once again launched a scathing attack through her social media post. Without naming directly, she appeared to target Pranab Prakash Das (Bobby Das), questioning who was responsible for the Komna constituency.

She alleged that the party’s downfall was due to the influence of “Kritadas (slave) and his coterie group,” adding that under his charge, the party lost its credibility. Elina further remarked that while earlier defeats were blamed on “non-Odia responsibility,” this time the party collapsed under the very leadership of Kritadas. Ina sarcastic manner, she wrote that only a divine intervention from Lord Jagannath can rescue BJD workers from what she described as a “conspiratorial coterie.”

This is not the first time Elina has criticized the party after electoral setbacks. Following the Nuapada loss, she recalled that BJD’s decline began with the Dhamnagar by-election, lamenting that no introspection was done and the same leaders continued to hold responsibility, leading to repeated failures.

Adding fuel to the fire, another BJD leader, Shreemayee Mishra, also took to social media on Sunday. In a poetic post, she targeted VK Pandian, his wife Sujata Karthikeyan, and even Santrupt Mishra. She questioned the decision to field Santrupt from the prestigious Cuttack Lok Sabha seat in 2024 despite his lack of political experience and contribution to party organization.

Mishra noted that he lost by a huge margin and later acted as “bus conductor” during Nuapada campaigning. She alleged that despite failures, he now aspires for a Rajya Sabha berth, sarcastically asking whether “Shakti Nani’s strength is greater or the bus conductor’s ability to secure his own seat.”

The back-to-back social media attacks by Elina Dash and Shreemayee Mishra highlight growing dissatisfaction within BJD ranks. As the party grapples with repeated electoral setbacks, the internal rebellion signals deeper cracks that could challenge its organizational unity ahead of future contests.