Bhubaneswar: In a significant political maneuver that has sent shockwaves through the corridors of power in Odisha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik has suspended two sitting lawmakers, Sanatan Mahakud and Arabinda Mahapatra, on charges of corruption and anti-party activities. This decisive action comes at a time when the regional powerhouse is navigating its most challenging phase in over two decades, following its transition to the opposition bench after the 2024 assembly elections.
The suspension of Sanatan Mahakud, the influential billionaire legislator from Champua, and Arabinda Mahapatra, the MLA from Patkura and son of veteran leader Bijay Mahapatra, marks a stark shift in the BJD’s internal strategy. Observers suggest that Shri Patnaik is attempting to re-establish the party’s once-unassailable reputation for clean governance and “zero tolerance” for corruption. By labeling the leaders as traitors, the BJD leadership is signaling that personal loyalty to the party’s core ideology must supersede individual political weight, regardless of the legislator’s financial or familial influence.
The timing of this “clean-up” drive is critical. Since losing power to the BJP, the BJD has faced increasing pressure from within, with reports of growing factionalism and leaders allegedly cozying up to the new ruling dispensation. Sanatan Mahakud, in particular, had recently been under scrutiny for his perceived proximity to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his repeated absence from key party meetings. Arabinda Mahapatra’s suspension is equally notable, given the historic and often turbulent relationship between the Patnaik family and his father, Bijay Mahapatra.
Critics argue that these harsh measures might backfire, potentially accelerating the weakening of the BJD by alienating powerful regional satraps who command significant vote banks. However, the Patnaik camp maintains that a “slim and disciplined” party is preferable to a large, fragmented one plagued by divided loyalties. For Shri Patnaik, this appears to be a calculated gamble to purge “unreliable” elements and rebuild the party’s image before the upcoming local body and municipal elections, proving that even in a weakened state, the party president retains his iron grip over the organization.
The development has left the political landscape in Keonjhar and Kendrapada districts in a state of flux, as supporters of the suspended leaders weigh their next moves. Whether this move helps the BJD consolidate its remaining strength or leads to further desertions remains the central question in Odisha’s evolving political narrative.