BJD office gheraoed over young MLA’s insistence to know reason behind his suspension

Hundreds of supporters of Arvind Mohapatra, the Patkura MLA from Kendrapara district, who was suspended by the Biju Janata Dal on Friday for a “variety of reasons”, laid siege to the party’s regional office, demanding that party supremo Naveen Patnaik spell out the “exact” grounds for the suspension.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which governed Odisha for years with an absolute majority, has rarely witnessed such open and sustained resistance to a suspension as it is now facing from the supporters of Patkura MLA.

Mr. Mohapatra was suspended from the party on January 15 along with Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud. However, the BJD did not specify the reasons for the action. The party issued only a brief statement, saying the two legislators were suspended for “anti-party activities”, a standard formulation often cited in disciplinary actions.

Rejecting the explanation, Mr. Mohapatra publicly challenged party president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik to furnish specific evidence of his alleged involvement in anti-party activities and to clearly explain the grounds for his suspension.

In response, party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty issued a more elaborate statement, asserting that the party leadership does not tolerate “corrupt elements and traitors.” Mr. Mohapatra, however, refused to accept the charge and reiterated his demand for a clear and reasoned explanation.

As no concrete justification emerged, the party spokesperson later introduced yet another rationale, claiming that Mr. Mohapatra was part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise the BJD.

Patnaik issues statement

Subsequently, Mr. Patnaik, who is generally known for maintaining silence after suspending party leaders, broke his convention and issued a brief statement. Without naming Mr. Mohapatra, he said the Patkura MLA had failed to live up to expectations and that voters in the constituency had faced difficulties, making the removal necessary.

Unconvinced by what they see as shifting and inconsistent explanations, Mr. Mohapatra’s supporters laid siege to the party office, demanding that Mr. Patnaik spell out specific and credible reasons for the suspension.

“Mr. Mohapatra may not personally gain from returning to the BJD fold,” said veteran journalist Rabi Das. “But his persistent assertion that he was expelled without fault, and his suggestion of a conspiracy, is harming the party’s image.”

Mr. Das further observed that Mr. Patnaik has long been regarded as a strong leader who ran the party with an iron hand. “The fact that the former chief minister was compelled to issue an explanation in response to sustained pressure from a young first-time MLA sends a message that the BJD is no longer the tightly controlled unit it once was,” he said. (EOM)