Senior BJD Leader Warns Of Exit, Cites Party’s Drift From Ideology
“I am still in the BJD, but I no longer participate in any organisational activity. If the party does not run properly in the days ahead, I will move away”: Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former minister Prafulla Mallick
BHUBANESWAR: In a rare display of dissent, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former minister Prafulla Mallick on Wednesday warned that he may quit the party if it “fails to function in the right manner,” a remark widely seen as a veiled message to party president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Breaking his silence after months of political inactivity, Mallick said he had distanced himself from organisational affairs and accused the BJD of failing to perform its role as the principal Opposition in Odisha.
“I am still in the BJD, but I no longer participate in any organisational activity. If the party does not run properly in the days ahead, I will move away,” he told reporters.
The veteran leader alleged that the BJD had strayed from its founding ideology and ignored several of his proposals to strengthen the organisation. While acknowledging that some of his suggestions—such as setting up a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and a disciplinary panel—were implemented, he expressed dissatisfaction that other key recommendations were brushed aside.
Mallick further lamented that party colleagues had stopped consulting him. Though he dismissed speculation about floating a new outfit, he underlined that the “old BJD must be run properly” to retain public support.
“If the party functions properly, I will continue to be with it. If not, I will dedicate myself to social work. This is not the right time to take a call on an alternative, as people still support the BJD,” he said.
The BJD leadership has not officially responded to Mallick’s sharp criticism, which comes at a time when the party is grappling with desertions, internal discord, and shrinking political space after losing power in the 2024 Assembly polls.