Bhubaneswar, 15 March (H.S.): A fresh controversy has surfaced within the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections after documents related to party nominee Santrupt Misra came to light, sparking debate within the party and across Odisha’s political circles.

According to the documents, an organisation named the Biju–Naveen Inspirational Foundation has reportedly been established in New Delhi in the names of former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik and BJD president Naveen Patnaik.

The foundation is said to list former bureaucrat V. K. Pandian as its president, while BJD Rajya Sabha candidate Santrupt Misra has reportedly been named as its secretary.

The development has raised questions within the party, with senior BJD leader Prabhat Biswal demanding clarity regarding the formation of the foundation. Biswal questioned why such an organisation was established in New Delhi without the knowledge of party leaders and members.

Notably, Biswal had earlier expressed reservations over Misra’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, former BJD leader Shrimayee Mishra also criticised the development in a social media post, alleging that the formation of the foundation could be part of a larger conspiracy to take control of assets worth crores of rupees associated with the party. She questioned the alleged transfer of the party’s movable and immovable assets to the foundation and asked whether party leaders had been informed about such a move.

Mishra further raised concerns about the criteria for appointing trustees to the foundation and criticised what she described as a lack of transparency in internal party decisions. Her remarks have added to the growing political debate surrounding the issue.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda