Jajpur, 11th Sept 2025: In what was once considered a stronghold of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Jajpur district has witnessed a political shift post the 2024 elections. Of the seven Assembly constituencies in the district, BJD won 3, BJP also won 3, while one seat (Dharmasala) was won by independent candidate Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo (Liku), who later aligned with BJP. As a result, BJP now has control over four seats – Korei, Sukinda, Badachana, and Dharmasala.
In the last elections, BJD’s three prominent youth leaders – Pranab Prakash Das (Bobby), Preetiranjan Ghadai (Gyani), and Pranab Balabanta Ray (Jitu) – were defeated. Bobby had left his home turf in Jajpur to contest the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, where he lost. In Sukinda, Gyani lost to BJP’s Pradeep Bal Samanta, and in Dharmasala, Jitu lost to Liku.
In Jajpur, Bobby had fielded Sujata Sahoo, a relatively unknown woman candidate, while senior BJP leader Gautam Ray was his opponent. Despite his stature, Gautam could not defeat Sujata, raising questions about his own credibility. Following his loss, Gautam also lost his influence within the district BJP leadership.
In contrast, senior leader Debjani Pradhan from Badachana became the district BJP president, defeating internal efforts by Gautam to appoint Babita Mallik, a BJP leader from Binjharpur.
When the BJP formed the government in Odisha post-elections, there was speculation that experienced leaders like Akash Das Nayak or Amar Nayak from Jajpur would be made ministers. However, Pradeep Bal Samanta from Sukinda was the one who secured a ministerial berth, largely due to his close association with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
But controversy followed. Pradeep’s tenure as a minister has faced criticism, with many pointing fingers at his inefficiency. Allegations have also emerged about family interference in politics, and his supporters being involved in rowdy behavior in Sukinda, damaging his popularity.
Moreover, despite being a minister, Pradeep has remained disconnected from the core BJP organization in the district, leading to discontent among grassroots workers.
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Poster Faces Shifting: From Bobby to Tyanin
With the decline of BJD veterans like Bobby and Jitu, and Liku’s rapid rise, the political landscape in Jajpur has shifted. Though Liku contested as an independent, his strong public connect and survivor image (especially after the attack near Budha Pol) has significantly boosted his popularity.
He is now being seen as the new poster boy of the BJD (despite his BJP-leaning). His presence is sought in every major political event in the district, and party leaders and workers are increasingly rallying behind him. Today, he even hosted a grand unification event in Dharmasala, bringing various groups together.
Meanwhile, Bobby’s political credibility has taken a hit – both because of his Lok Sabha loss and his failure to secure victory for his mother in Korei. The failure has sent shockwaves within the district BJD unit. In parallel, Jitu has become politically irrelevant, unable to even secure the Panchayat Samiti chairperson seat for his own brother.
This has left the BJD workers disillusioned with both Bobby and Jitu. In contrast, Preetiranjan Ghadai (Tyanin) is now emerging as the de facto poster face of BJD in the district.
Tyanin, who entered politics through social service, has now become an MLA with a distinctive image not just in Dharmasala, but across Jajpur. He has established a strong identity both within the party and in government circles, voicing people’s concerns effectively.
His political rise is being quietly supported by the Bal family, which is expected to have far-reaching implications for the BJD in the coming days. As things stand, Liku is poised to be the biggest gainer, and his capability may soon land him a ministerial post – something not too surprising given his rising clout.