BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra taunts BJD, says regional party is in ICU

By Mahendra Darjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 12: In a fiery exchange that has escalated the political landscape in Odisha, senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra on Tuesday sharply criticised the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), saying the regional party is in political “Intensive Care Unit” and faces a turbulent future due to internal divisions.

Speaking to reporters in Sambalpur, Mishra, a former minister and influential BJP MLA, suggested that the BJD’s latest efforts to form a coalition government with the support of Congress and Independents highlight its desperate position.

“The regional outfit is currently in ICU, and there are doubts on whether it can survive the infighting,” Mishra declared. He claimed that the BJD’s leadership structure had been compromised, saying the reins were handed over to bureaucrat-turned-politician V.K. Pandian and the late Pyari Mohapatra, leaving party loyalists and workers sidelined.

These remarks followed recent statements from top BJD leaders, who indicated that the party could form a government in Odisha by partnering with Congress and independents. At a rally in Kendrapada’s Mahakalapada district on Saturday, former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak reaffirmed his confidence in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s leadership, even if it meant securing Congress’s support.

“Our party has 51 members in the Assembly, Congress has 14, and there are three Independents,” Nayak said, suggesting a potential alliance that could come close to a majority. This sentiment has been echoed by other BJD leaders, including MPs Debashish Samantaray and Munna Khan, as well as former MP Amar Patnaik.

Despite this display of confidence from the BJD, Congress leader Mohammed Moquim dismissed the possibility of aligning with the BJD. “There is no question of joining hands with BJD, which supported the BJP government at the Center on all issues when it was in power. The regional outfit has no future, and Congress will grow on its own in Odisha,” Moquim stated.

“This back-and-forth has further stirred the political atmosphere in Odisha as rural elections and urban elections loom. With BJD under fire from BJP leaders and Congress distancing itself from any coalition talk, the coming months promise an intense political battle in the state,” observed political analyst Prasanna Mohanty.