The Waqf Bill Row: How Naveen Chose Silence Over Confrontation to Avert Possible Split in BJD
Sources within the BJD suggest there will be no further escalation of the Waqf Bill controversy, nor any disciplinary action against those who voiced dissent.
Bhubaneswar: What initially erupted as a major storm within Odisha’s opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over the Waqf Bill issue has now been reduced to a faint political memory. The controversy, which once threatened to unsettle the party’s long-maintained unity, has quietly vanished from the state’s political discourse.
The unrest was sparked by the BJD’s ambiguous position during the voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Rajya Sabha on April 4, leading to sharp reactions from several senior party leaders. Rajya Sabha MP Munna Khan, also known as Muzibulla Khan, alongside influential figures such as Ranendra Pratap Swain, Pratap Jena, Nrusingha Sahu, and Prafulla Mallick, publicly voiced their dissatisfaction over the split voting by the party’s lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha. They collectively reached out to party supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, demanding clarity on the party’s official stance and calling for decisive leadership.
Fuelling the fire were whispers about the involvement of Naveen Patnaik’s close confidant and former bureaucrat V. Karthikeyan Pandian in the party’s conflicting votes. Though no conclusive proof ever surfaced, discreet suggestions from within party circles and speculative media reports painted a picture of internal discord. The tension led to widespread rumours of a potential split in the BJD — speculation that gripped both state and national media for days.
Yet, true to his famously unflappable political style, Naveen Patnaik chose silence over confrontation. It took nearly a week before he issued a statement denying Pandian’s involvement and promising an internal inquiry into the incident. However, weeks later, no tangible action or public clarification has followed.
Curiously, the very leaders who once raised their voices against the party leadership have now gone silent. The once-busy hotel lounges and private gatherings where heated debates over the Waqf Bill unfolded have grown quiet. What was a political inferno now seems little more than a smouldering ember.
According to political analysts, this episode reaffirms Naveen Patnaik’s signature political manoeuvre — patience and restraint. For close to three decades, he has remained the unchallenged figurehead of Odisha politics, with over 24 years as Chief Minister. His consistent success lies in his ability to outlast political tempests, choosing timing over tactics and silence over spectacle.
“In politics, timing often trumps aggression. Naveen’s approach has been to let controversies cool on their own, rarely responding with immediate action unless absolutely necessary,” said Sriram Dash, a noted political analyst.
Sources within the BJD suggest there will be no further escalation of the Waqf Bill controversy, nor any disciplinary action against those who voiced dissent.
“For now, Naveen Patnaik is said to be spending the sweltering summer months in quiet reflection at his residence, Naveen Niwas. Party activities are expected to resume after the monsoon arrives — by which time both the summer heat and political unrest will likely have evaporated,” added Dash.
