Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Rayagada BJD Rift Deepens After Two Leaders Suspended
A political party called the BJD suspended two of its local leaders in Rayagada.
One of them, Sramita Padhi, had just been elected vice-chairperson of the municipality without opposition.
The other was municipality Chairman P Mahesh Pattanaik.
The party said they were suspended for alleged anti-party activities, but it did not explain the exact actions involved.
The dispute follows an earlier vote that removed the municipality’s previous vice-chairperson.
That vote happened even though the BJD had told its councillors to oppose it.
The election for a replacement was delayed by legal proceedings.
The events show that there are serious disagreements inside the BJD’s Rayagada organisation, although the articles do not prove who directed the municipal developments.
Sramita Padhi was elected unopposed as Rayagada Municipality vice-chairperson before being suspended by the BJD.
The BJD also suspended municipality Chairman P Mahesh Pattanaik, citing alleged anti-party activities.
The action followed a no-confidence motion that removed former vice-chairperson Subhra Panda after 19 councillors voted for it.
The vice-chairperson election was delayed by legal proceedings before Padhi became the sole candidate.
The episode has renewed attention on former Rajya Sabha member N Bhaskar Rao and his Biju Swabhiman Manch network.
- Who
- The BJD, Rayagada Municipality officials, Sramita Padhi, P Mahesh Pattanaik, and other local political leaders.
- What
- Padhi and Pattanaik were suspended by the BJD for alleged anti-party activities after Padhi was elected vice-chairperson unopposed.
- When
- Padhi was elected and both suspensions were issued on the same day; the preceding no-confidence dispute began on September 12, 2025.
- Where
- Rayagada Municipality in Rayagada district, Odisha.
- Why
- The BJD cited alleged anti-party activities, while the broader dispute involved a contested no-confidence motion and continuing internal party friction.
BJD’s Disciplinary Position
Internal Rift Interpretations
Reason for suspension
BJD’s Disciplinary Position
The BJD says Padhi and Pattanaik engaged in alleged anti-party activities and suspended them immediately.
Internal Rift Interpretations
The official order did not identify the specific conduct, leaving the precise basis for the suspensions publicly unclear.
Control over municipal events
BJD’s Disciplinary Position
The party’s disciplinary action indicates that the municipal developments were treated as a party-discipline issue.
Internal Rift Interpretations
The article says Rao, the Biju Swabhiman Manch, and their networks remain politically relevant, but the episode alone does not prove that they directed the events.
Cause of BJD’s difficulties
BJD’s Disciplinary Position
BJD leaders and political actors have attributed the party’s electoral setback and local disputes to leadership or organisational failures.
Internal Rift Interpretations
Those explanations are described as subjective political interpretations rather than independently verified facts.
- Party action
- The BJD suspended Sramita Padhi and P Mahesh Pattanaik.
- Padhi’s election
- Padhi was elected unopposed as Rayagada Municipality vice-chairperson as the sole nominee.
- Stated reason
- The BJD cited alleged anti-party activities but did not publicly specify the conduct involved.
- No-confidence vote
- Nineteen councillors voted to remove former vice-chairperson Subhra Panda.
- Council strength
- Rayagada Municipality has 24 councillors, including 21 BJD councillors at the time of the party whip.
- Political background
- N Bhaskar Rao and former minister Lal Bihari Himirika resigned from the BJD in September 2025 and Rao later formed the Biju Swabhiman Manch.