Bhubaneswar: The political crisis within the Biju Janata Dal has intensified significantly today, January 24, 2026, as the “siege” of the party’s power centers shifted from the headquarters to the residence of the party supremo.
The most critical development today involves the relocation of the protest. After spending the last 48 hours at Shankha Bhavan, hundreds of supporters of suspended Patkura MLA Arvind Mohapatra moved their demonstration directly to the gates of Naveen Niwas.
The protesters have intensified their demands, specifically targeting the perceived inconsistency in the party’s messaging. While the official suspension order cited “anti-party activities,” recent statements from the leadership shifted the narrative to “failing to work for the people.” This shifting of the goalposts has provided the dissidents with fresh momentum to challenge the high command’s transparency.
In response to the growing chaos, security around Naveen Niwas has been heavily reinforced today. Additional platoons of police and home guards have been deployed to prevent any attempt by the demonstrators to breach the residence. The tension peaked this morning when a group of senior supporters was denied an audience with Naveen Patnaik, leading to a sit-in protest on the main road, which disrupted traffic in the Forest Park area for several hours.
Parallel to the street protests, the “arithmetic game” for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections has surfaced as a major concern for the BJD leadership today. With the terms of four MPs ending in April, the Election Commission has officially kicked off the process. The BJD’s internal disarray puts their ability to secure a third seat in jeopardy. Since the party’s effective strength has dropped to 48 (following the two suspensions and internal shifts), they are vulnerable to “conscience voting” or cross-voting. Reports suggest the BJP is closely watching this situation, potentially looking to field a high-profile candidate to lure dissatisfied BJD legislators.
Inside Naveen Niwas, the atmosphere has reportedly shifted toward damage control. Shri Patnaik continued his outreach today by scheduling separate strategy sessions with a fresh batch of 10 MLAs. Sources indicate that for the first time in years, the “middlemen” have been sidelined, as Shri Patnaik seeks direct, unfiltered feedback to prevent a full-scale split before the Panchayat polls.