Reeling from electoral setbacks, BJD now faces internal discontent as many senior leaders who had questioned the party's style of functioning have now been demoted to 'in the rank of' positions.
The byelection follows the death of MLA Rajendra Dholakia, a Gujarati businessman-turned-politician of the BJD who also served as a minister in the previous government.
“No one bothered to ask what had pushed her to that point. She was struggling mentally, but the college refused to even listen to her," said Soumyashree Bisi’s friend Kashish.
Group of 10 senior party leaders met BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Friday after whip Sasmit Patra told party’s Rajya Sabha MPs to vote on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 as per their conscience.
Trouble started for her just ahead of assembly polls last year, when ECI ordered her transfer from Mission Shakti after BJP delegation sought the same for 'misuse of public office'.
Shift in its stance evident since it lost to BJP in Odisha polls, BJD also took a swipe at Modi over his remarks in Lok Sabha on BJP steering clear of horse trading of MPs.
The move has drawn criticism from the Opposition. Former CM & BJD chief Naveen Patnaik said BJP ‘renamed more than 40 schemes of my government as their own’.
BJP ended 24-year BJD rule in Odisha after alliance talks failed, while NDA ally TDP dislodged YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh. Both BJD & YSRCP had backed BJP’s legislative agenda.
Organisational infrastructure was limited in 2019 but today the party boasts of 1,005 mandals for 147 assembly constituencies, says state BJP leader Sajjan Sharma.
In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.
IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.
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