Odisha: BJD suspends firebrand woman leader for 'anti-party' activities

Bhubaneswar, Sept 23 (PTI) The opposition BJD in Odisha on Tuesday suspended three leaders, including its firebrand women's affairs general secretary Shreemayee Mishra, for alleged "anti-party" activities.

The other two leaders suspended by the Naveen Patnaik-led party are its ex-president of Kaptipada block, Subas Chandra Sai, and former Mayurbhanj district secretary Pravir Chandra Sai, according to a statement.

Mishra was in the news recently for her two social media posts that described Mahabharat characters, without naming anyone. The posts, which were seen as an attack on Patnaik's leadership and his aide VK Pandian, led to a furore in the party.

Mishra, who hails from Bolangir district, was once close to the BJD's top leadership.

She pitched herself hard for a Lok Sabha ticket from the Bhubaneswar seat in the 2024 elections, but it was denied at the last moment, following which she started distancing herself from Sankha Bhavan and Naveen Niwas.

Within minutes of her suspension, Mishra, in a social media post, said, "I have never compromised on my self-esteem and self-pride, nor will I do so in the future. As I have not renewed my membership of the party for the past one year, my suspension from it will help people to laugh." "Under the misguided influence of a non-Odia, a leader who has ruled the state for so long, playing with the self-esteem of an Odia daughter is hardly logical; the judgment is yours. It has now been proved that the heir of a legendary leader, who always called for giving respect to women, is not capable of taking decisions on his own. To prove that I am truly an Odia daughter, I will never sacrifice my self-esteem," he said.

Meanwhile, the BJD in its official WhatsApp group released some pictures that showed Mishra was present at the party's membership drive in Bhubaneswar.

It also released two videos where she was seen praising Patnaik and Pandian.

The BJD had on September 12 suspended its senior leader, Prafulla Mallik, a former minister, after he raised questions about its style of functioning following the 2024 election defeat. PTI AAM AAM SOM