Overview
- An official party statement said Naveen Patnaik accepted Patra’s resignation as leader of the BJD’s group in the Rajya Sabha.
- A push for change grew inside the party, with some MPs writing to Patnaik and others faulting Patra for announcing a Waqf Bill shift on X last year.
- Santrupt Misra, newly sworn in to the Rajya Sabha and a political aide to Patnaik, is viewed by party insiders as the likely successor, though no appointment has been announced.
- Patra remains a Rajya Sabha member and recently protested remarks by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey about Biju Patnaik by quitting a House panel and leading a walkout.
- The BJD has six seats in the Upper House, so the next parliamentary leader will shape its floor coordination, legislative tactics, and national messaging.