# BJD sees chance to regain ground in Odisha after Pradhan exit 2026-08-09T12:43:54+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) sees a political opportunity in Odisha after the resignation of former Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who quit following protests by the Cockroach Janata Party. The BJD's confidence comes from ground-level conversations critical of the BJP-led state government's pace of development, law and order, and error-ridden school textbooks. The BJD has lost three Rajya Sabha MPs and eight MLAs, reducing its assembly strength from 51 to 42. However, political observers say the disintegration is contained, far less than expected after 24 years of BJD rule. Party supremo Naveen Patnaik has become more accessible and is distancing himself from the BJP. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: BJD, BJP, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mohan Charan Majhi, Naveen Patnaik, Odisha politics Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bjd-sees-chance-to-regain-ground-in-odisha-after-pradhan-exit/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bjd-sees-chance-to-regain-ground-in-odisha-after-pradhan-exit/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.