Bhubaneswar, Dec 21: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Sambit Routray on Sunday asserted that the party is not centred on any individual but is rooted in the ideology of Biju Patnaik, in remarks widely seen as a pushback against the continuing debate over former bureaucrat-turned-politician V K Pandian’s role within the party.

Responding to repeated references to Pandian in recent political discussions, Routray said Pandian was a factor when the BJD was in power, but was never accepted as a political leader. “He is a good manager, but we never accepted him as a leader. The leader is Naveen Patnaik,” Routray said.

At the same time, Routray stressed that the BJD’s identity goes beyond any single individual. “The BJD is not built around one person alone. It is built on Biju Patnaik’s ideology and the contribution of many leaders,” he said, referring to veterans such as Damodar Rout, Kalindi Charan Behera, Pradeep Maharathy, Bijayshree Routray and Kalpataru Das.

Dismissing speculation about leadership crisis or the formation of a new political outfit, Routray said the BJD remains Odisha’s largest regional party. “There is no leadership vacuum. Naveen Patnaik is the leader, but the party is larger than any individual,” he said.

Routray also sought to play down political significance attached to recent informal meetings of party leaders, including the “Bandhu Milan” gathering, saying political interaction should not be misread as rebellion. “If people meet after a long time, it does not mean there is a conspiracy or an alignment,” he said.

Using a metaphor to describe internal challenges, Routray said every political party has internal issues. “Where there is grain, there will be rats. Where there are rats, there will be snakes. All parties face such situations,” he said.

Internal Dissent Intensifies
Routray’s remarks come amid visible internal churn within the BJD following its defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections, which ended Naveen Patnaik’s uninterrupted 24-year rule in Odisha. The December 19 “Bandhu Milan” meeting of more than 50 sitting and former legislators intensified speculation about discontent within party ranks.

Also Read: Internal Criticism Erupts in BJD as Senior Leader Points to Organizational Lapses in Nuapada

Following a disappointing performance in the 2024 Assembly and General elections, and a particularly poor showing in the Nuapada bypoll, the Biju Janata Dal has been facing increasingly vocal dissent from within. Leaders such as Debashish Samantaray, Bhupinder Singh, Shreemayee Mishra and Elina Dash publicly questioned the party’s functioning and sharply criticised the BJD’s strategy in the Nuapada by-election and attributing the defeat to wrong candidate selection, delayed decisions and organisational lapses.