Bhubaneswar: In a significant political development amid recent turbulence following the Rajya Sabha elections, senior leader Raghunath Mohanty and former MLA Jiban Pradip Das on Wednesday rejoined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
Both leaders formally joined the party at Shankha Bhavan in Bhubaneswar in the presence of senior BJD leaders Pranab Prakash Das, Pratap Jena and Debi Mishra.
The return of Mohanty and Das comes at a time when the BJD is grappling with internal challenges in Balasore district following the exit of former MP Rabindra Jena, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His wife, Basta MLA Subasini Jena, was earlier suspended from the BJD for alleged cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, and her future in the party remains uncertain.
Political observers believe the homecoming of Mohanty, a seasoned leader with considerable influence in Basta, could help the BJD stabilise its position in Balasore. Mohanty had quit the BJD in 2019, joined the BJP, and contested from Basta but lost the election. A five-time MLA from the constituency, he was once considered a key BJD figure before being suspended over a dowry harassment case. He later left the BJP ahead of the 2024 elections.
Similarly, Das has had a shifting political trajectory. First elected from Balasore on a BJP ticket in 2000, he joined the BJD ahead of the 2009 Assembly elections and won the seat, retaining it again in 2014. However, after losing in 2019 and being denied a ticket in the subsequent bypoll following the death of BJP leader Madan Mohan Dutta, he faced disciplinary action over alleged anti-party activities. Suspended in November 2020, Das resigned from the BJD shortly thereafter and rejoined the BJP in January 2021. His return to the BJD now marks another shift in his political career.
The twin inductions are expected to recalibrate political equations in Balasore, offering a boost to the BJD as it seeks to counter recent setbacks in the district.
