Bhubaneswar: It seems that all is not well in Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main Opposition party in Odisha. BJD general secretary (women affairs) Shreemayee Mishra’s cryptic posts in social media have apparently caused discomfiture in the Naveen Patnaik-led party.

Mishra, a former chairperson of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC), invited criticism from some of her own party activists for her recent social media posts.

“Someone who has renounced all pleasures and bonding in life can be termed as a Sanyasi (saint). But, there are many people in society who claim themselves as saints but they are yet to sever their ties with pleasure and ambition. These people are being termed as fake saints (Bhanda Sanyasi),” said Mishra in a social media post yesterday.

Though Mishra claimed that she wrote the post after watching some popular web series by noted Bollywood director Prakash Jha, many political observers believe that the woman leader took a dig at BJD supremo’s trusted aide VK Pandian, a former bureaucrat.

Pandian had joined the BJD ahead of the 2024 Assembly and Parliamentary elections in Odisha after taking voluntary retirement from IAS job.

Prior to his retirement, Pandian was serving as the private secretary to then Chief Minister Patnaik. He quit politics after the defeat of BJD in the last year’s polls.

While canvassing for BJD in the twin polls, Pandian, a native of Tamil Nadu, had announced that he would take retirement from politics (Rajaniti ru Sanyas) if the regional party failed to come to power in Odisha for the sixth consecutive term.

Though Pandian took retirement from politics soon after the defeat of BJD in the polls, the former bureaucrat has been spotted with Patnaik on several occasions in the recent past. It is perceived that Pandian is still calling the shots in BJD. 

Meanwhile, several BJD leaders including Anshu Tripathy and Ila Swain, have slammed Mishra for her social media posts.

“Mishra was silent when there were several incidents of crime against women in Odisha in last few months. She had been given several important posts during the BJD rule in Odisha. She should refrain from doing anything which will harm the party,” said Tripathy.

Echoing the sentiment, Swain said, “It seems that Mishra is telling against BJD that had nurtured her and assigned her key responsibilities in the past. She has started doing all this after the defeat of BJD in the polls. Mishra should stop this immediately. Otherwise, she would face stiff opposition from the party workers,” said Swain.

It is worth mentioning here that there were rumours that the BJD would field Mishra from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat in 2024 polls. However, the party eventually picked Manmath Routray, son of Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray, as its candidate for Bhubaneswar segment. Manmath lost to BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi, a bureaucrat-turned politician.

Since the polls, Mishra, who was once very active in BJD politics and perceived as close to the party leadership, has been maintaining a low-profile in the regional party.

Earlier, the woman leader made veiled attack on top-rung leaders of the party by terming them Drhrutarastra, the Kourav King in Mahabharat, and his close aides who remained mute spectator to the injustice meted out to Doupadi in Kurusabha.