Belpahad, July 15 (UDN): The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) faced a major organisational jolt in Belpahad Municipality on Tuesday as more than two-thirds of its elected corporators resigned from the party’s primary membership, exposing growing internal discontent within the Brajarajnagar Assembly segment.
The resignations come in the wake of the suspension of senior BJD leader Hitesh Thakkar, a move that has reportedly intensified unrest among grassroots leaders and elected representatives in the municipality.
A total of 10 elected representatives, including Belpahad Municipality Deputy Chairperson Rina Suna, submitted their resignation letters to BJD president Naveen Patnaik through the party’s Jharsuguda district president. District social media coordinator Tosif Alam also quit the party.
The resignations were announced during a press conference at the Belpahad Municipal Kalyan Mandap, where the suspended leader Hitesh Thakkar was present.
In their joint resignation letter, the corporators reiterated their respect for Naveen Patnaik’s leadership and acknowledged his contribution to Odisha’s development. However, they said the prevailing organisational environment in the Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency had made it impossible for them to continue in the party.
The leaders alleged that grassroots workers and elected representatives had been consistently sidelined despite their efforts to strengthen the organisation and serve the people. They claimed that repeated attempts to raise their concerns within the party had failed to yield any response.
The resigning corporators also expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the party leadership in the constituency, alleging that the interests of local workers were being overlooked. While maintaining that they had never acted against the party leadership, they said the continued neglect of dedicated workers had created widespread frustration within the organisation.
The corporators further stated that the suspension of Hitesh Thakkar deeply hurt party workers in Belpahad, claiming that the municipal unit had functioned under his guidance for several years and that his removal had adversely affected the morale of local leaders.
Those who resigned include corporators Yudhishthir Munda, Nikki Kalo, Shanti Kishan, Shakuntala Mohanta, Asha Tripathi, Sanjay Yadav, Jyotirmayee Patnaik, Arjina Begum, Kiran Maral, along with Deputy Chairperson Rina Suna.
Despite their decision to leave the party, the leaders clarified that their resignation was not directed against Naveen Patnaik or the ideology of the BJD. They conveyed their gratitude to the former Chief Minister and wished him good health and continued success in public life.
The mass resignation has dealt a significant blow to the BJD’s organisational structure in Belpahad Municipality and is likely to have political ramifications in the Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency. The development has sparked fresh speculation over the party’s internal cohesion in Jharsuguda district, with political observers closely watching its impact on the BJD’s grassroots network ahead of future electoral battles.