4 min readBhubaneswarUpdated: Apr 17, 2026 06:16 PM IST
Nearly three decades after his death, a political flashpoint is brewing over the legacy of former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik, with parallel events held to commemorate his 29th death anniversary Friday.
While the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a party formed following the death of the iconic leader to carry forward his vision, continued to organise events across the state, what triggered the face-off was a parallel show by a group of Biju loyalists who are increasingly seen to be sidelined from the regional party.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Biju Patnaik’s younger son, who is frequently hailed by the party as the “true inheritor” of his father’s legacy, took a dig at the sidelined leaders for holding parallel shows.
“People know who is what,” he said. “Some people in Odisha politics are always happy with the betrayal role. They should remember that no mask can hide their sins for long. People know who is what.”
Though Patnaik didn’t name anyone, BJD sources said his remarks were aimed at sidelined leaders who have regrouped after the recent Rajya Sabha victory of former Union minister Dilip Ray. A hotelier, Ray, a close confidant of the former Odisha CM, won the Rajya Sabha race as eight BJD MLAs cross-voted in his favour.
Stating that the delimitation Bill, being debated in Parliament, poses questions on Odisha’s political identity, Patnaik said a united fight to protect the state’s interests would be the “greatest tribute to Biju babu”.
“Odisha has been a victim of historical negligence by successive Union governments. Odia self-esteem is in danger today. Time has come for everyone to come together to fight for beloved Odisha,” Patnaik said, adding that his letters to the Odisha CM seeking a special session of the state Assembly to “safeguard the political interest of Odisha” in the delimitation Bill were ignored and that the “Odisha government prefers to be a mute spectator and is more interested in protecting the interest of BJP than Odisha and Odias”. “Is it Odia Asmita (pride)?” asked Patnaik.
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Hailing his father as a symbol of Odia pride, Patnaik appealed to all Odisha MPs, regardless of party affiliation, to raise the issue strongly.
“If we do not put up a united fight at this juncture, history will never forgive us,” he said.
On the Women’s Reservation Bill, Patnaik said the party supported it, adding that it was a coincidence Parliament was taking it up during Biju’s death anniversary — he is considered a pioneer of women’s empowerment in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Nagarika Mancha of the “sidelined” BJD leaders said the forum was an experiment and would work as a lone voice for Odisha and its people.
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Senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra, a close confidant of Biju Patnaik, targeted Naveen on the occasion and said he wanted to thank him for remembering Biju because of them.
Mohapatra also criticised the BJD, alleging the party removed Biju Patnaik’s photo in the 2024 elections and used the image of a non-Odia person — an oblique reference to Naveen’s trusted aide V K Pandian.
Among others, Dilip Ray, editor-turned-politician Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, and Amar Satpathy attended the programme. People who had worked with Biju Patnaik for years were also invited.
The development comes at a time when the BJD is grappling with internal dissent after losing power in the state in 2024, with sources indicating the forum could emerge as a platform for such leaders.
