Bhubaneswar, July 14:The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) suffered a major organisational setback in the Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency after 10 corporators of Belpahad Municipality, including the Deputy Chairperson, resigned from the party's primary membership on Tuesday, citing dissatisfaction with the party's functioning at the local level.

The resignation letters were submitted to BJD president Naveen Patnaik through the party's Jharsuguda district president. District social media coordinator Tosif Alam also quit the party.

The resignations were announced at a press conference held at the Belpahad Municipal Kalyan Mandap in the presence of suspended senior BJD leader Hitesh Thakkar.

In their letter, the corporators praised Naveen Patnaik's leadership, saying his vision for Odisha's development and commitment to public service had always inspired them. However, they said the prevailing organisational atmosphere in the Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency had made it impossible for them to continue in the party.

The leaders alleged that grassroots workers and elected representatives were repeatedly ignored and denied due recognition despite their efforts to strengthen the organisation and serve the people. They claimed that their concerns had been raised several times but remained unaddressed.

The corporators held the leadership and functioning of former Brajarajnagar MLA Alka Mohanty responsible for the situation. While expressing respect for her, they alleged that the continued neglect of party workers and elected representatives had left them deeply disillusioned.

They clarified that their resignation was not directed against Naveen Patnaik or the ideology of the BJD. The leaders also said the suspension of Hitesh Thakkar had deeply hurt party workers, noting that the Belpahad municipal unit had been functioning under his guidance.

Those who resigned are Deputy Chairperson Rina Suna and corporators Yudhishthir Munda (Ward 11), Nikki Kalo (Ward 12), Shanti Kishan (Ward 10), Shakuntala Mohanta (Ward 7), Asha Tripathi (Ward 17), Sanjay Yadav (Ward 8), Jyotirmayee Patnaik (Ward 3), Arjina Begum (Ward 1), and Kiran Maral (Ward 18).

The resigning leaders concluded their letter by wishing Naveen Patnaik good health and success in his continued service to the people of Odisha.

The mass resignation has sparked speculation over the BJD's organisational strength in Belpahad Municipality and is being viewed by political observers as a significant setback for the party in the region.