In a stunning display of political irony, the BJP MLA who defeated the seemingly invincible Naveen Patnaik is now crying helplessness — not against the opposition, but within his own ruling party’s government.
Laxman Bag, the firebrand BJP leader from Kantabanji in Balangir district, scripted history by ending the BJD supremo’s long dominance in the 2024 elections. Yet, nearly 18 months after taking oath as MLA, Bag says he is unable to deliver even basic development to his drought-prone constituency.
In a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Bag has openly accused the administration of deliberate neglect and political conspiracy against his Kantabanji segment. Despite being part of the ruling BJP, he claims his repeated proposals for irrigation, roads, bridges, drinking water and urban development have been ignored, while neighbouring constituencies receive priority.“Kantabanji is a chronic drought-prone area, yet it remains deprived of irrigation facilities,” Bag wrote. He listed key demands — construction of check dams on rivers and streams, better road connectivity, drinking water schemes and urban beautification projects — all of which, he says, have been pushed aside.
Even more shocking is Bag’s allegation that several sanctioned projects under the EOAN scheme for village-level development in Turekela block were approved and funded, only to be mysteriously returned by officials citing “administrative and political conspiracy.” As a result, he claims, ordinary villagers are now directing their anger at him, the elected representative.
The Kantabanji MLA, who was not inducted into the ministry, has not minced words. “If elected representatives face such high-handedness and conspiracy in development and administrative work, then democracy, administration and the dignity of people’s representatives will cease to exist,” he warned.
Bag has urged the Chief Minister to launch a full inquiry into the “conspiracy” behind the deliberate sidelining of his constituency and restore justice and respect to the office of an elected MLA.
The Chief Minister’s Office has taken the complaint seriously. The letter has been forwarded to the departments of Planning & Coordination, Works, Water Resources, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, and Housing & Urban Development, with instructions to submit an “Action Taken Report” at the earliest.
The episode has sent ripples across Odisha’s political circles. A leader who helped dethrone the 25-year-old Patnaik regime now finds himself battling bureaucratic and political roadblocks within his own party’s government — raising uncomfortable questions about internal equations in the BJP’s first term in power in the state.
