BJD suspends veteran leader Prafulla Mallick on anti-party activities charge

By Sukant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 12: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday suspended senior leader and former minister Prafulla Mallick, a day after he openly expressed displeasure with the party’s functioning and hinted at walking away if “things do not move in the right direction.”

An office order signed by BJD’s organisational secretary stated: “Sri Prafulla Kumar Mallick, ex-MLA Kamakhyanagar, Dhenkanal district, is hereby suspended from Biju Janata Dal for his involvement in anti-party activities with immediate effect.”

Mallick, who served in multiple portfolios under Naveen Patnaik’s long tenure as Chief Minister, had accused the party of failing to play its role as the principal opposition in Odisha since losing power to the BJP in 2024. He lamented that the organisation had deviated from its ideological moorings and ignored constructive suggestions on strengthening internal democracy. While some of his proposals, such as forming a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the BJD and a disciplinary panel, were accepted, he claimed many others were brushed aside.

“I no longer participate in any organisational activity as the BJD is not functioning properly. I will focus on social work for now. If the party corrects its course, I may continue. Otherwise, I will align myself with social organisations,” Mallick said on Thursday.

His suspension comes at a time when the BJD, after ruling Odisha for nearly 24 years under Patnaik, is grappling with a loss of political dominance and an identity crisis in the opposition benches. Several senior leaders have either gone into hibernation or voiced frustration over the party’s drift, while the BJP has consolidated its position both in the Assembly and at the grassroots.

Observers believe Mallick’s exit signal is symptomatic of the larger unease within the BJD rank and file, as it struggles to reinvent itself in a changed political landscape where the party’s survival hinges on organisational revival and leadership clarity.