As the BJP took a hit in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in states where it was expected to perform well, such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, Odisha stepped up to save the party by delivering 20 vital parliamentary seats that pushed its overall tally to 240. That regional wave provided Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the required leverage to secure a historic third consecutive term, anchoring a coalition government alongside regional allies such as the TDP and JD(U).Now, over two years down the line, the BJP that also formed the government for the first time in 2024 is struggling to sustain the post-election momentum. BJP insiders say that the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main Opposition party and former ally, continues to hold significant ground presence and vote share despite its electoral rout. In the Assembly election, the BJD was marginally ahead with a 40.22% vote share while the BJP managed to get 40.07% of the votes.In recent months, the BJD has targeted the BJP-led Central government over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, or the MMDR Amendment Act, arguing that it strips the state of crucial financial and constitutional rights and is anti-federal in nature. The BJD has also added its voice to the Opposition’s chorus against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Read | What Naveen Patnaik’s Ganjam visit means for Odisha politics“Prime Minister Modi began his post-2024 Lok Sabha election victory speech at the BJP national headquarters chanting ‘Jai Jagannath’ thrice instead of his usual ‘Jai Shri Ram’. It was seen as his appreciation for what Odisha contributed to his return to power. People in Odisha expected a lot from the PM, but what it got is MMDR,” said former Lok Sabha MP Tathagata Satpathy.BJP insiders said some senior party leaders in the state were “unhappy” with the state government’s inability to keep up the momentum in the perception battle. BJP parliamentarians Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy (Berhampur MP), Sangeeta Singh Deo (Bolangir MP), and Balabhadra Majhi (Nabarangpur MP) have recently complained, in separate letters, to the state government about the slow pace and the poor quality of infrastructure construction in their constituencies.“Another point of discontent was triggered when Nitin Nabin revamped the national team. The state was completely sidelined. No new face from Odisha was inducted in the national team, though the state has a prominent role to play in the 2029 elections,” said a BJP leader. Both Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda and Sambit Patra were in the previous team as national vice-president and North East Coordinator, respectively.Some BJP leaders said the CM Majhi has a clean image but has not done enough to wield power, because the “ecosystem remains the same” as under the Naveen Patnaik government. “The cadre still feel we are left out and the BJD leaders still call the shots at the ground level,” said a young BJP leader from Odisha. “Control over development projects at the block levels is an important source of influence for those working on the ground. However, ground-level contracts remain the BJD’s forte.”Story continues below this adHowever, a senior party MP from the state came to the CM’s defence, saying “transition” takes time. “ After 24 years (of Naveen Patnaik -led BJP in power), one cannot change things overnight. If we change things rapidly, we will be accused of being dictatorial or undemocratic. We have to do it officially and properly. When it comes to contracts, the BJD networking at the ground knows the tricks, while our karyakartas do not even apply for many. Also, regional party-ruled states have a way to do things too,” he said.The CM’s defenders in the party said internal divisions — mainly due to the one-upmanship some senior leaders engage in — often slow down the CM. However, others pin the blame on him.“The Chief Minister has not been able to appoint a regular DGP yet. This is a perfect example to show how incompetent the government is,” said a source. Majhi has also not expanded his Council of Ministers since taking power. The state currently has 16 ministers, including the CM, and can induct six more.BJD’s hurdlesThe BJD has ground cadre and support, but its leadership crisis is far from over. Once a strong BJP ally — they shared power in a coalition for nine years — the Naveen Patnaik-led party initially maintained equidistance from the BJP and the Congress after losing power, but there has been a shift in recent months.Story continues below this adAfter it backed the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) July protests on the NEET exam paper leak issue, the BJP branded it “an ally of anarchists”. Two of its Rajya Sabha MPs, Manas Mangaraj and Sulata Deo, have joined Opposition protests calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Like the INDIA bloc, the BJD has also alleged “vote theft” through SIR. However, the party has made it clear it does not want to be seen as part of the INDIA bloc either.With the formal entry into the party of former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, the BJD’s second-rung leadership and sections of the cadre are struggling to readjust themselves to the new internal dynamics. Karthikeyan is married to Patnaik’s close aide V K Pandian, whose role in the party came under fire in the 2024 elections.Some BJD leaders pointed out that Patnaik has reiterated that he would remain the party’s face in the next elections. Unlike Pandian, who was labelled an outsider and is seen as a political liability in the party, Karthikeyan, who hails from Kendrapara, is viewed by many as Patnaik’s potential successor in the long run.