Bhubaneswar, July 25: Revocation of the suspension order against former minister and senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra is being seen as an indication that the party has decided to adopt a conciliatory approach towards dissidents.

State BJP sources said the leadership had adopted this approach as part of a conscious strategy to strengthen the organisation ahead of the 2019 elections.

"Confrontation would be counter-productive at thisstage though we are not going to compromise on discipline," said a senior party leader requesting anonymity.

Party spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said the decision to lift the suspension order against Mishra, a firebrand leader, would help strengthen the BJP in Sambalpur, which is considered the political nerve centre of west Odisha.

"It will serve two purposes - make the organisation stronger and ensure discipline," he said.

Sharma said west Odisha was the focus area for the BJP with eight of its MLAs hailing from that region.

Mishra, along with 10 of his followers, was suspended from the party on March 12 for alleged anti-party activities during the last panchayat elections.

They had been accused of going against the party decision and insulting BJP state unit vice-president Samir Mohanty during the election for the post of zilla parishad president in Sambalpur.

During the election for the post, a scuffle had taken place in the local party office.

Mohanty, who was the party observer for Sambalpur, was allegedly assaulted during the scuffle.

The party took serious note of the incident and suspended 11 persons, including Mishra.

Mishra has been the BJP's stormy petrel with several brushes with the law-enforcement authorities.

In February last year, a complaint had been filed against him for allegedly misbehaving with the police during the visit of Union water resources minister Uma Bharti to the Hirakud dam.

In 2015, the police had arrested him for violating the prohibitory orders under section 144-A clamped by the administration to restrain devotees from brandishing weapons during the celebrations of Hanuman Jayanti in Sambalpur city.

However, Mishra - a three-time MLA from Sambalpur - remains one of the most influential leaders in the region and the BJP's fortunes in the 2019 elections would depend on him heavily.

The party is keen to strengthen its base in the region and win back the Sambalpur Assembly seat, which was won by the ruling BJD last time.

The revocation of the suspension order against Mishra is likely to be an important step in this direction.