Bhubaneswar: Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has allegedly advised BJD president Naveen Patnaik to remain aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of tilting towards other political formations, triggering a fresh political controversy in Odisha.
Pradhan allegedly made the remark at a public meeting in his Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency two days ago in the presence of BJD senior vice-president and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Prasanna Acharya.
The senior BJP leader was speaking on the issue of women’s reservation in legislatures and criticised the BJD for taking a divergent stand from the Centre.
“Naveen Babu is a good person. However, he is taking a fluctuating stand on the women’s reservation issue. We will request Prasanna Bahi (brother) to meet Naveen Babu and make him understand to remain aligned with Modi. We will together make provision for the reservation for women,” Pradhan said, sparking a political row.
Responding to the statement, Acharya said, “Politicians often make statements as per their political convenience. It is also seen that the statements differ from the ground reality. Pradhan made such a statement keeping in view his party’s interest.”
Acharya, however, made it clear that BJD is a regional party and maintains equal distance from both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress’ INDIA bloc.
“We are an independent regional party dedicated to protecting the interests of Odisha,” he said.
Pradhan’s remarks come amid indications of a shifting political equation in the state, including reports of BJD Parliamentary Party leader Manas Ranjan Mangaraj attending an INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on the issue of women’s reservation, marking a notable departure from past positions.
In another development, Patnaik had recently backed a joint opposition candidate Dr Datteswar Hoa in the Rajya Sabha polls after consultations with Congress state leadership. However, the candidate lost amid allegations of cross-voting by MLAs from both sides.
The BJD, which earlier supported the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, has of late changed its political strategy following its defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Tensions between the two parties have also surfaced over issues such as delimitation, with Patnaik opposing a proposed bill, a move strongly criticised by the BJP leadership.
The sour relationship between BJD and BJP came to the fore when Patnaik wrote a letter to BJP MPs to oppose the delimitation bill that was introduced by the NDA government during the special session of Parliament.
Patnaik claimed that the passage of the bill will reduce Odisha’s political right in Parliament, which was strongly opposed by the BJP.
On Tuesday, Patnaik called for accountability from the Ministry of Education helmed by Pradhan after the NEET-UG question paper leak. The BJD’s youth and students’ wings, along with the Congress, demanded Pradhan’s resignation for failing to conduct a smooth NEET UG examination.
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