BJP’s Show Of Strength In Erstwhile BJD Bastion: Over 1,000 Leaders Switch Sides
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged a massive show of strength in Odisha’s Jajpur district, long considered a fortress of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), as more than 1,000 leaders and grassroots functionaries crossed over to the saffron camp.
Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged a massive show of strength in Odisha’s Jajpur district, long considered a fortress of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), as more than 1,000 leaders and grassroots functionaries crossed over to the saffron camp.
At a grand joining and felicitation ceremony held at Dharmasala Mahotsav Ground, state BJP president Manmohan Samal declared that what had not been achieved in the past 78 years would be realised within five years under the BJP government.
Jajpur, dominated by the BJD for more than two decades, witnessed a major shift in 2024 when the BJP wrested four of the seven Assembly constituencies and the Lok Sabha seat. Tuesday’s event, marked by a colourful procession and attended by over 30,000 people, was described by insiders as “historic” for Dharmasala. The new entrants included Zilla Parishad members, sarpanchs, panchayat samiti members and former sarpanchs.
“The colours of the BJD have been erased from the soil of Dharmasala. Today it is painted only in saffron,” said Dharmasala MLA and chief organiser Himanshu Shekhar Sahoo, amid loud cheers from supporters.
Addressing the gathering, Samal credited the BJP’s success to the blessings of Goddess Biraja and the people’s yearning for change. “Mother Biraja never tolerates arrogance. The BJP government has delivered on promises—from empowering women through the Subhadra Yojana to raising paddy input subsidy to Rs 800. These are steps towards development that was stifled under 25 years of BJD rule,” he said.
Party leaders emphasised that the BJP had consolidated its hold in Badachana and Dharmasala blocks and would now focus on expanding its base across the district.
The rally was attended by several prominent leaders, including Jajpur MP Dr Rabindra Narayan Behera, Cooperative Minister Pradeep Balasamant, Badachana MLA Amar Nayak, Korei MLA Akash Das Nayak and others.
BJP leaders expressed confidence that the Dharmasala show of strength would reverberate across Odisha, further cementing the party’s organisational foundation ahead of future political battles.
