Overview

• Vice president Pratap Jena announced the suspension on the direction of party chief Naveen Patnaik.
• Prafulla Mallick had said the BJD was drifting from its founding ideology and failing to act as an effective opposition in Odisha.
• He stated he had stepped back from organisational work and warned he would leave if the party did not function properly.
• Mallick said some of his reform suggestions, including creating a Political Affairs Committee and a disciplinary panel, were adopted while other proposals were ignored.
• He dismissed talk of launching a new outfit and said he would turn to social work if he ultimately departs, as local reporting links the episode to ongoing turbulence after the party’s 2024 defeat.