Senior BJP leader and former three-time MLA from Balasore, Jiban Pradip Dash, has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing a decline in the party’s ethical standards and value-based politics.
His decision follows the recent induction of former Balasore MP Rabindra Kumar Jena, who joined the BJP on March 11, 2026, shortly after quitting the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Jena’s entry has sparked discontent in the local BJP unit in Balasore, as he faces CBI charges in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam.
In a press conference in Balasore on March 13, 2026, Dash announced his resignation, stating that the BJP has distanced itself from principled politics since coming to power in Odisha in 2024. He questioned how an accused in a chit fund case could be welcomed into the party, accusing the BJP of moral decline. Dash emphasised that he had no immediate plans to join another party and intended to spend time with his family while reflecting on his future course.
Efforts to retain him failed, as Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi reportedly tried to persuade Dash to stay but was unsuccessful.
Dash, a prominent leader from Balasore who won the assembly seat three times, had expressed dissatisfaction with the shifting dynamics in the district following Jena’s entry.
This development highlights internal tensions within the BJP’s Odisha unit amid recent high-profile inductions.
