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Journalism of Courage
Sidelined for months since he publicly questioned his party’s stance on the Waqf Bill, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Debashish Samantaray on Tuesday sent a scathing letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, alleging that the party was deviating from its core ideology and sidelining loyalists.
“I doubt that there is any place for loyalists of legendary Biju Babu or your loyalists, who have stood like a rock behind your long and illustrious political career. Now our party has a new line of thought, ideology and action deviated from the Biju legacy that you epitomise,” Samantaray wrote.
Once known to have access to Patnaik’s inner circle, Samantaray was among the group of veteran leaders who were “strategically sidelined” by the party. These leaders were assigned less significant positions as part of an organisation restructuring exercise in May. Samantaray was accordingly made in charge of the senior citizen cell in the rank of vice-president.
“I fail to understand what ‘in the rank of vice president’ really means. Besides sounding bureaucratic, such a designation is demeaning and humiliating. I am unable to accept the responsibility,” he said.
Samantaray’s outburst against the party came in April when he abstained from the Waqf law, expressing displeasure over the party’s last-minute change in its stance of allowing MPs to exercise their conscience during voting in the Rajya Sabha. The senior leader blamed Patnaik’s close aide and former bureaucrat V K Pandian for the last-minute flip-flop.
Talking to reporters, Samantaray said he has been trying to personally meet Patnaik to discuss certain issues pertaining to the party, but has not been allowed.
On the BJD’s electoral defeat in the 2024 general and assembly polls, Samantaray blamed the bureaucratic style of functioning of the party and the rising influence of Pandian in the party and in governance. The senior leader said the party has failed to accept the cause or to take remedial measures.
“The reason is on the lips of every worker and supporter of the party. Besides our desperate submissions, the party has struggled to accept the reality. Wins and losses are natural to elections. However, we lost despite a popular chief minister,” Samantaray said.
Questioning the style of functioning of the party, Samantaray appealed to Patnaik to thwart the attempt being made to weaken the BJD.
Asked whether he would quit, Samantaray said he would remain in the BJD till the party is being managed by Patnaik.
The regional party that remained in power for 24 years has been facing a challenging time with senior leaders openly questioning its style of functioning.
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