In the face of increasing internal division in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) caused by the party's sudden turnaround on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Rajya Sabha, some of the top leaders had a meeting with party president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence on Tuesday in what seemed to be an attempt to diffuse the crisis.
Insiders reported that the meeting was serious deliberation on the discord caused by the party's position on the Waqf Bill. Leaders, however, brushed this aside in public, saying the meeting was entirely about party organisation.
"We sat with our illustrious Party President Naveen Patnaik to share organisational matters. As party-wide internal polls were on, we discussed what is related to choosing the president of the party and district leaders," said senior MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo following the meeting.
Tactfully hinting at the simmering controversy, Sahoo further stated that the discussion encompassed a gamut of organisational issues and reaffirmed the party's tenacity. "The BJD is more than capable of addressing and resolving any problems it is facing," he claimed.
The same view was expressed by other top leaders, asserting that Tuesday's discussions were limited strictly to issues related to the party's current internal elections.
In an accompanying development, a younger generation of BJD leaders is said to have met separately to express their grievances over the continuing internal conflicts. Sources said they wrote to Naveen Patnaik pressing for tough action to maintain party discipline. The letter is said to have advocated a categorical rejection of any tie-up with national parties, warning that such steps create confusing signals and demoralize grassroot workers.
These young leaders have also reasserted their unflinching support for Patnaik and have expressed intentions to sit down with him in the near future to address their concerns more explicitly.
The internal disturbance of the BJD was further fueled on Monday amidst bitter verbal exchanges between the leaders, with the power of V.K. Pandian, the right-hand man of Patnaik and ex-silicone Valley baba, being the fulcrum of the sudden policy U-turn that enabled MPs to exercise their conscience vote in favor or against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
This volte-face upset several, especially minority community leaders. A delegation led by BJD MP Muzibulla Khan met Patnaik on Monday, requesting disciplinary action against Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra. Patra had not only declared the party's new position but also voted in favour of the controversial bill, subsequently going public with his stand to the media.
The delegation requested Patra’s suspension, claiming his actions were inconsistent with the party’s stated position and caused significant internal discontent.
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