Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former minister Ranendra Pratap Swain has urged the party to focus on social justice, anchored in secularism and regional identity. He also alleged that the party was being “hijacked” and called on party president Naveen Patnaik to take corrective measures.

In a letter to Patnaik, Swain emphasised the need for a comprehensive caste census to guide equitable policy decisions and ensure proportional representation within the party structure.

The letter comes amid internal discord over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, with some party MPs voting in favour, defying the BJD’s stated position.

Swain wrote: “Let not a few individuals hijack the party, distort this social fabric or deepen regional imbalance. Only then can our party organisation truly uphold the ideals of social justice and regional balances.”

He called for equitable representation across regions and communities, especially Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and women, at all levels—from the apex to district and block-level party units.

Commenting on Swain’s letter, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said, “I cannot comment on the allegation of hijack. He is a senior leader and can explain what he means. We support all sections within the party.”

Swain also urged the party to reclaim its ideological legacy rooted in social justice, with secularism and regional pride at its core. “This is a moment to reclaim our ideology and reassert our identity as a party rooted in social justice—with secularism and regional identity as its pillars. The people of Odisha are looking to us for principled leadership,” he stated.

Referring to former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, he added, “We must not forget that Biju Babu’s politics was rooted in social justice, with secularism and regional pride as its natural extensions… If we take forward the idea of social justice as the core of our political narrative, it will resonate powerfully with the masses.”

On the Waqf Act controversy, Swain criticised the party’s decision not to issue a whip in the Rajya Sabha, which led to a split in votes. He urged the party
president to take a clear position on the matter, in consultation with the party cadre. “I am confident that under your guidance, the Biju Janata Dal can rise to the occasion and chart a bold path forward,” he said.