Bhubaneswar, April 9: Senior leader Dr. Sasmit Patra of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has resigned from his position as the parliamentary leader in the Rajya Sabha.
BJD supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accepted Dr. Patra’s resignation on Thursday.
According to an official statement from the party, Naveen Patnaik has acknowledged Dr. Patra’s resignation from his role as the leader of the BJD parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha.
Sources indicate that some party MPs recently wrote to the BJD president, requesting Dr. Patra’s removal from his position. Allegedly, internal conflicts within the party led to his departure from the role of BJD leader in the Rajya Sabha. Dr. Patra is completing his second term in the Rajya Sabha and has served as the parliamentary leader since 2022.
It is believed that Satya Pratap Mishra, Naveen Patnaik’s secretary who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, may succeed Dr. Patra as the leader of the BJD parliamentary group.
In April 2025, a last-minute change in the party’s stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill caused a faction within the party to turn against Dr. Patra. Initially, the party announced its opposition to the bill but later voted in favor of it, leading to discontent among a significant portion of the party. They launched sharp criticisms against Dr. Patra, demanding strict action due to his sudden shift in position, which resulted in pressure and embarrassment for him.
Dr. Patra transitioned from the education sector to politics and has served as a Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha twice. He has made a mark in Parliament on both national and regional issues. As the national spokesperson for BJD, he represented the party in New Delhi and voiced his opinions on several important legislative matters in the Rajya Sabha.
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