Odisha: BJP leader accuses BJD lawmakers of working under Pandian’s influence
Bhubaneswar: Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Jayanarayan Mishra on Saturday took a swipe at the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, alleging that its lawmakers operated under the influence of retired bureaucrat-turned-politician V Karthikeyan Pandian.
Pandian, a close confidant of BJD president Naveen Patnaik, has been widely blamed for the party’s decline after 24 years in power. His alleged dominance in both the BJD’s organisational structure and the state government fueled widespread discontent, which the BJP successfully leveraged as a key election issue.
Mishra’s remarks were based on conversations with BJD legislators in the Assembly lobby. According to him, many BJD members admitted that key decisions were taken only after receiving directives from Pandian, who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and joined the BJD just ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections. He expressed concern over what he called the undue influence of an external individual on legislative proceedings.
His comments came amid the ongoing uproar in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Mishra noted that while the government had initially agreed to discuss the Opposition’s adjournment motion, the House had remained in disarray since Friday due to repeated disruptions.
Mocking the BJD lawmakers, Mishra alleged that they had been reduced to mere event managers for Pandian in the run-up to the elections.
“In the past, BJD leaders were seen handling venue arrangements for Pandian’s public meetings. Now, there’s a competition among them to be his closest aide. Several BJD MLAs have confided this to me,” Mishra claimed.
He further accused the ruling party of deliberately stalling Assembly proceedings. “When the Speaker allowed the adjournment motion on the farmers’ issue, the BJD disrupted the session instead of engaging in a debate. It is clear they are acting on Pandian’s instructions,” he alleged.
Mishra went on to mock BJD leaders, saying, “The people of Odisha have seen them at work—some were busy serving food, while others arranged chairs and tents for Pandian’s events.”
In response, Pramila Mallick, the chief whip of the Opposition, demanded that Mishra’s remarks be expunged from the Assembly records. She accused him of fabricating stories and insisted that references to non-members should not be included in official proceedings.
