Bhubaneswar: Prashant Jagdev, the Chilika MLA and suspended leader from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), is speculated to make a move to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soon, according to sources close to him. Jagdev’s potential transition comes after an extended period of suspension from the BJD, raising questions about his future within the party.
In January 2023, Jagdev had expressed optimism regarding the revocation of his suspension by the BJD, but to no avail. His hopes were dashed, leaving him disillusioned with the Conch party. He had previously accused former legislator Raghunath Sahu of orchestrating a conspiracy against him. Sahu, who held the BJD MLA position from Chilika from 2014 to 2019, saw Jagdev as his successor when Jagdev contested and won from the constituency in 2019. Prior to this, Jagdev had represented Begunia as a BJD MLA.
The suspension saga unfolded in September 2021 when Jagdev faced allegations of assaulting a Dalit leader affiliated with the BJP near Chilika lake. Subsequently, he was arrested and incarcerated in connection with the incident. However, his troubles didn’t end there. In March 2022, Jagdev made headlines again for reportedly driving his SUV into a crowd, comprising mostly BJP supporters and police personnel, outside the Banapur block office in Khurda district.
Following a tumultuous legal battle, Jagdev found himself released from Banapur sub-jail in July 2022 after the Supreme Court granted him bail, albeit with stringent conditions. The court’s directives included a prohibition on visiting his assembly constituency for a year without the permission of the District Magistrate/Collector. Moreover, Jagdev was restricted from convening meetings with more than five individuals at a time. Instances of Jagdev’s unruly conduct towards public officials, such as a junior engineer and a woman tehsildar, further tarnished his reputation. In August 2020, a complaint was lodged against him by a junior engineer alleging misconduct. Similarly, in 2016, Jagdev was embroiled in controversy for purportedly assaulting a woman tehsildar.
Jagdev’s potential defection to the BJP mirrors a broader trend of political realignment in Odisha. Earlier this month, Pradeep Panigrahy, a former three-time BJD MLA from Gopalpur, made headlines by joining the BJP.
