Baijyant ‘Jay’ Panda quits BJD: How ties between the MP and party chief Naveen Patnaik soured

After being very close for years, the relationship between the two leaders steadily worsened over the past few years.

A career in Public Service 

Panda was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2000 as a BJD legislator, and followed it up with another stint in the Upper House in 2006. He was leader of the BJD’s prliamentary party from 2002-2009 in the Rajya Sabha.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2009 general election from the Kendrapara constituency, Panda won another term in the lower house in 2014. He was also appointed spokesperson of the BJD’s parliamentary party.

Jay Panda (centre) during a panel discussion for Digital Bharat in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Deteriorating relations

The first visible sign of the deteriorating relations between Panda and his party chief came in May 2017, when Patnaik removed Panda from the post of BJD parliamentary party spokesperson. The move came just months after Patnaik called for the BJD to introspect after its poor performance in the state panchayat polls. Panda claimed that the party had been taken over by opportunists.

The move to remove him as spokesperson was seen as official action over the BJD MP’s alleged proximity to the BJP, and his statements allegedly showing Patnaik in a poor light.

In an article published just days before his removal as spokeperson, Panda had written about how the BJP had entrenched itself as the central pillar of Indian politics. The article was viewed in the BJD as being in favour of the BJP.

The relationship only worsened when Panda was hit by an egg during a clash between his supporters and party workers in the Mahanga area of Cuttack district, just days after he was removed as spokesperson.

Soon after the clash, Panda told reporters, “The BJD had a policy of resisting hooliganism and infighting. But in the last three years, things have changed. Some babus have started deciding party activities, leading to indiscipline.”

BJP President Amit Shah and Jay Panda at the parliament to cast vote in the presidential election. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Panda also attracted the party’s ire after he publicly supported the use of biometric-based Aadhaar in August 2017, despite the fact that many opposition parties were divided over the implementation of the scheme.

“Privacy ought to be a fundamental right, but I am not against Aadhaar,” Panda said during a function.

In January, Panda was suspended from the BJD’s primary membership by Patnaik. Panda was accused of “conflict of interest” and being involved in “anti-party activities” that were aimed at weakening Odisha’s ruling party.

In a two-page release, the BJD wrote about Panda’s conflict of interest in 2014, when the MP allegedly told the party he was “desirous of becoming the Chairman of Standing Committee on Finance in the Lok Sabha”. According to the release, Panda told the party that as the BJD was the fourth largest party in the House, he may not be favoured.

“However, if he is nominated, he stated he would be able to lobby and get it,” the party release said.

Panda responded to the allegations with a tweet. “I’m shocked at this news. Very very sad @Naveen_Odisha didn’t see thru the conspiracy agnst me led by an IAS ofcr now controlling the party,” he tweeted.

“I vehemently deny the allegations agnst me, they are entirely false & baseless,” he had tweeted. The MP said he would “pray to Jagannath for guidance”.

*I'm shocked at this news
*Very very sad @Naveen_Odisha didn't see thru the conspiracy agnst me led by an IAS ofcr now controlling th party
*I vehemently deny the allegations agnst me, they are entirely false & baseless
*I will pray to Jagannath for guidance b4 i respond further

— Baijayant Jay Panda (Modi Ka Parivar) (@PandaJay) January 24, 2018

The BJD also accused Panda of not campaigning for the party during the panchayat elections, and indulging in “anti-party activities supporting opposition candidates”.

Just days before his resignation, the BJD announced it would boycott Panda’s television news channel Odisha TV.

“OTV has lost its neutrality. It is our decision that we will not participate in OTV’s discussions and news events. We are open to reversing our decision provided OTV becomes neutral again,” BJD’s media chief and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Keshari Deb told a press conference.

The party alleged that OTV’s bias was particularly evident during the Bijepur assembly seat bypoll, which was held in February. The BJD claimed the bias was linked it to the suspension of the Kendrapara MP.

Sad. OTV never suppresses any story, shows every allegation against ALL parties (incl me too!) while providing enuf chance to respond/clarify. BJD had no issue until allegations agnst Pandian (to which he/BJD refuse to respond!). My advice: clarify allegations instd of boycotting https://t.co/WsFRfuW79D

— Baijayant Jay Panda (Modi Ka Parivar) (@PandaJay) March 22, 2018

After resigning from the party, Panda claimed he has been “viciously targeted” and harassed.

“I have been bereaved in ways more than one. My faith that I was assisting you in a party that was decent and committed to certain principles has also died,” he wrote in his letter to Patnaik. Panda also said that he will be writing to the Lok Sabha Speaker separately regarding his resignation from the Lok Sabha.