Bhubaneswar, Nov 17: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is facing growing dissent after its humiliating defeat in the recent Nuapada Assembly bypoll in Odisha. What started as murmurs of discontent among senior leaders has now spread to the younger leadership, with several voices openly criticizing the Naveen Patnaik-led party’s strategy and organizational decisions

Leaders Speak Out

Former MLA Sambit Routray launched a direct attack on the party’s coterie groups, blaming them for sidelining grassroots workers and entrusting campaign responsibilities to “outsiders.” He argued that the party failed to learn lessons from the 2024 elections, resulting in repeated setbacks. “Assigning campaign duties to inexperienced individuals has cost the party heavily,” Routray said.

Nuapada leader Bhanu Pratap Singh Majhi also voiced strong criticism, claiming that the decision to field candidates from outside the district was the primary reason behind the debacle.

Senior Voices Join In

The rebellion is not limited to younger leaders. Senior figures such as Prafulla Samal, Subash Singh, and corporator Ajit Behera have previously expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s functioning.

Actress-turned-politician Elina Samantaray had also targeted the leadership. Without naming directly, She appeared to target BJD heavyweight Pranab Prakash Das, also known as Bobby Das, questioning who was responsible for the party’s defeat in the Nuapada bypoll.

Meanwhile, former BJD leader Shrimayee Mishra has taken to social media targeting BJD leadership, further fueling the debate and intensifying the crisis.

Growing Crisis

With each passing day, the dissent in BJD appears to be widening. Leaders across age groups and factions—pro-party and anti-party alike—are voicing concerns. The situation has raised questions about whether the Nuapada bypoll debacle could mark the beginning of a larger decline for the BJD, or whether party supremo Naveen Patnaik will step in to review and address the crisis.

The challenge for the leadership now lies in reconciling differences between senior and junior leaders, and between loyalists and critics, to prevent further erosion of the party’s base.

Nuapada Bypoll
BJP candidate Jay Dholakia won the Nuapada bypoll by a margin of 83,748 votes defeating his nearest Congress rival Ghasiram Majhi. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which had won the seat in 2024, was relegated to third place, signaling a dramatic shift in Odisha’s political landscape.