While a number of senior leaders have failed to find positions of any significance in other parties after quitting the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the regional party is taking care of the leaders joining with it from other parties.
While the regional party is strengthening its base after induction of powerful leaders of other political outfits, the leaders, who quit it, are losing relevance in other political parties.
Most of the leaders of Congress, BJP, Communist, NCP and JMM, who have joined the BJD, are holding major positions in the party. Those, who have joined other parties leaving the BJD, have lost their relevance.
MP Pinaki Mishra, who was a Congress leader earlier, has created his presence felt in the BJD after joining it. Former Youth Congress president Rohit Pujari, is now the Deputy Chief Whip of the Treasury Bench in the House. Former Congress leader Raghunath Sahoo is now working for the BJD to strengthen it in Khordha district even after he lost previous Assembly election. Former leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha after joining BJD. Former Congress MlA Anup Sai is appointed as the Chairman of a major PSU.
Former Nayagarh District Congress president Hemendra Singh was elected to the lok Sabha on BJD ticket. Even after his untimely demise, his wife Pratyusha was elected to the Parliament as the Kandhamal MP from BJD ticket. Top Youth Congress leader Ganeswar Patra has been elected to the Assembly on BJD ticket.
Former BJP leaders, who have joined the BJD, are also holding key positions in the party. The BJD leaders MP Prasanna Acharya, Minister Pradeep Maharathy, MlA Amar Satapathy were among others who were strong leaders of BJP earlier.
They were with the Biju Patnaik-led Janata Dal before formation of BJD. Former BJP Ministers Bed Prakash Agarwal and Golak Nayak are now the BJD legislators. Agarwal has also been appointed as the chairman of the Biju Birth Centenary. Former BJP MlAs Mahesh Sahoo and Dhaneswar Majhi have been elected to the Assembly on BJD ticket. While former BJP State president and Minister Bimbadhar Kuanr is holding the position as the vice president of BJD, former BJP star campaigner and Minister Prashant Nada is now the spokesperson of the regional party.
Similarly, former BJP MlA and Deputy Speaker Ramachandra Panda is now a well-known face of the BJD in south Odisha. Former BJP MP from Kalahandi Bikram Keshari Deo’s son Arka Keshari Deo has been elected to lok Sabha after joining the BJD.
Senior CPM leader Subash Singh has been appointed as the chairman of a major PSU apart from holding the position as the State treasurer of BJD. Besides, the BJD has sent several key leftist leaders, including Nityananda Pradhan, Baishnab Parida and Narendra Swain to the Rajya Sabha, apart from keeping them in major party positions.
Former JMM leader Sudam Marandi is now given the portfolio of Sports and Youth Affairs in Council of Ministers. Former NCP leader Rama Chandra Hansda was elected to the lok Sabha on BJD ticket. He is currently lodged in jail in connection with a chit fund scam.
On the other hand, most of the BJD leaders, who have either joined other political parties or floated new parties, have lost their relevance in State politics.