The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on 12 July launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha after the party inducted former three-time MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal — named as an accused in a multi-crore chit fund scam — into its ranks in Bhubaneswar. The BJD alleged that the move exposed the BJP's broken promise to return money to chit fund depositors in the state.

BJD's Charges Against BJP

Addressing a press conference at the BJD headquarters in Bhubaneswar, party spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty accused the BJP of moral hypocrisy. He pointed out that the BJP had campaigned on a pledge to reimburse chit fund depositors within eighteen months of coming to power — a promise he said remains unfulfilled.

'Instead of returning the money, it is now inducting a leader accused in the chit fund scam into its party. This is a mockery of the lakhs of chit fund depositors of Odisha. It reflects the moral values of the BJP,' Mohanty said.

Mohanty also clarified that the induction would have no bearing on the BJD's standing. He stated that the party had denied Biswal a ticket after his name appeared in the chit fund case, and had subsequently expelled him for indiscipline 'a few months ago.'

Who Is Pravat Ranjan Biswal

Pravat Ranjan Biswal is a former three-time MLA from the Choudwar Assembly constituency in Cuttack district. On Sunday, he arrived at the state BJP office in a rally alongside supporters and formally joined the party in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and BJP's state unit president Manmohan Samal.

What the BJP Said

Chief Minister Majhi welcomed Biswal's entry, attributing it to the BJP's policies, ideology, and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Majhi said Biswal's induction would strengthen the party organisation not only in the Choudwar seat but across Cuttack district. He also claimed that people in Odisha 'no longer want the BJD.'

Wider Political Context

The episode comes amid a broader wave of political realignments in Odisha following the BJP's victory in the state, which ended the BJD's two-decade rule. The chit fund scam — involving alleged fraud against lakhs of small depositors — has remained a politically sensitive issue in the state for years. Critics argue that inducting an accused in such a case sends a contradictory signal, given the BJP's own electoral promises on depositor relief. Notably, the BJD's decision to expel Biswal before his defection suggests the party had anticipated and sought to pre-empt the optics of this move.