Sasmit Patra resigns as BJD floor leader

Bhubaneswar: Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra on Wednesday resigned as BJD’s parliamentary party leader amid growing dissent within the party.The development came a day after four BJD MPs wrote to party president Naveen Patnaik seeking his removal from the post. Sasmit submitted his resignation to Naveen considering the party MPs’ resentment against his leadership.Party insiders said the BJD may name either Santrupt Misra or Manas Mangaraj as the new floor leader, as both are said to enjoy the confidence of the leadership. Sasmit held the position since 2022.Confirming the resignation, sources said Naveen Patnaik now has two letters — one seeking Patra’s removal and the other conveying his resignation — and is expected to take a decision soon. The BJD currently has six members in the Rajya Sabha, the others being Subhashish Khuntia, Sulata Deo and Debashish Samantaray.Articulate and suave, Patra had been effectively articulating the BJD leadership’s views in Delhi, but was seen as “insufficiently proactive” during the recent controversy over BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s allegedly “insulting” remarks linking Biju Patnaik with the CIA.While Dubey made the remarks outside Sansad Bhavan on March 27, Patra reacted a day later, on March 28, when he resigned from a parliamentary panel chaired by Dubey.Despite attempts, Sasmit didn’t respond to calls and messages.Sources also pointed to differences among BJD MPs following the party’s handling of the Waqf bill in the Rajya Sabha last year, when the leadership left it to individual members’ conscience after initially announcing opposition to the legislation.