BJD leadership rooted in ideology, not individuals, says Sambit Routray

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Sambit Routray Sunday emphasized that the party is anchored in the ideology of Biju Patnaik, pushing back against ongoing debates over former bureaucrat-turned-politician V K Pandian’s influence within the party.

- POST NEWS NETWORK

Responding to repeated references to Pandian in recent political discussions, Routray clarified that while Pandian played a role when the BJD was in power, he was never regarded as a political leader. “He is a good manager, but we never accepted him as a leader. The leader is Naveen Patnaik,” Routray said.

At the same time, he stressed that the BJD’s identity goes beyond any single individual. “BJD is not built around one person alone. It is built on Biju Patnaik’s ideology and the contribution of many leaders,” he said, citing veterans like Damodar Rout, Kalindi Charan Behera, Pradeep Maharathy, Bijayshree Routray, and Kalpataru Das.