Bhubaneswar: Amid growing resentment among BJD leaders over various issues including party’s inconsistent stance on Waqf Bill, senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra has predicted that the Naveen Patnaik-led party may vanish from the political scenario in Odisha due to internal bickering.  

Mishra, a five-time MLA from Sambalpur constituency, claimed that many Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders are in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main Opposition party in Odisha will collapse if there is a little effort from the ruling party.

“The BJD will collapse if there is a little effort from BJP. The Naveen Patnaik-led party will face its end if the BJP leadership blows the whistle,” said Mishra, a former Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly.

The senior BJP leader also cited the recent reports of discontents among BJD leaders over party’s flip-flop on the Waqf Amendment Bill.

The regional party had initially announced to oppose the Bill in the Parliament. However, the party leadership later allowed BJD MPs in Rajya Sabha to vote as per their conscience.

Several BJD leaders have blamed former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide and bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian for party’s inconsistent stand on the Waqf Bill. However, Patnaik himself denied the involvement of Pandian in the decision-making process in the party.

“Many BJD leaders have expressed their resentment regarding VK Pandian’s influence in their party. During my tenure as the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, I was the first person to raise voice against Pandian, who was then a government official. Despite facing debacle in the polls, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is still defending Pandian. This will cause more discontents in the regional party,” said Mishra.