Mass Exit Rocks BJD in Bhadrak as Mandal Couple, 500 Leaders Quit

Bhadrak, April 25: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) suffered a major setback in Bhadrak district as former MP Manjulata Mandal and ex‑MLA Muktikanta Mandal resigned from the party along with over 500 leaders and workers.

The resignations, triggered by the suspension of the Mandal couple, saw leaders from all seven Assembly segments under the Bhadrak Lok Sabha constituency joining the exodus.

Prominent local figures, including Jagannath Swain, Shashikant Sahu, Subasini Sahu, Pranaya Das, Shyam Sundar Nayak, and Ashish Nayak, also quit.

Manjulata Mandal accused certain leaders of weakening the party’s organisational structure, while Muktikanta Mandal alleged internal conspiracies led by Chandbali MLA Byomakesh Ray.

The Mandal couple and their supporters are expected to join the BJP on April 30, marking a significant political shift in Bhadrak, once considered a BJD stronghold.

Observers believe this mass exit could erode BJD’s grassroots strength ahead of the upcoming elections.

This development follows last year’s defection of senior BJD leader Prafulla Samal’s son, Lulu Samal, who joined the BJP along with panchayat samiti chairpersons from four blocks.