Odisha Legislative Assembly introduces new composition with reversed roles for the first time in 24 years.

The 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly began on July 22, presenting a significant change from the past 24 years. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Biju Janata Dal have switched positions, with Naveen Patnaik, the country’s second longest-serving Chief Minister, taking on the role of Leader of the Opposition for the first time in his career.
During the assembly session, Mr. Patnaik was seated in the first row on the left side, the designated Opposition bench, while Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi occupied the first row on the right side of Speaker Surama Padhi. This arrangement was a new experience for many assembly officials and journalists, as Mr. Patnaik had never entered the House from the left side before.
Following the establishment of the Biju Janata Dal in December 1997, the former Chief Minister was elected to the Lok Sabha and became a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He returned to State politics in 2000, leading an alliance government. Mr. Patnaik had remained undefeated in elections until the 2024 elections.
Some political analysts expressed concerns that the BJD president might struggle in his new role as opposition leader, as he had not been known to actively participate in protest activities. However, on the first day as opposition leader, he led an Opposition walkout from the House on the issue of alleged inaction by the BJP government against Governor Raghubar Das’ son, who is accused of assaulting a government employee in Raj Bhawan. By demanding action, BJD quickly capitalized on the issue of ‘Odia Asmita (pride),’ which was a key campaign theme for the BJP in the 2024 election.
“It is surprising to find that the government has taken no action against the Governor's son, who was involved in assaulting a government officer. We are deeply shocked by this. The law and order situation seems to have broken down in our State. When I was in government, immediate action was taken against ministers, MLAs, MPs, and senior government servants if they broke the law,” said Mr. Patnaik outside the assembly.
“The State government must act according to the law. Because of this, my party marched out of the assembly at the beginning of this session,” he said. The BJD leaders, previously hesitant to express independent opinions while Mr. Patnaik was Chief Minister, are now seen speaking openly to the media. Prasanna Acharya, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, mentioned that many BJD leaders have prior experience in the opposition from their time in the Janata Dal and are well-prepared for their new role.
The BJD has established a shadow cabinet, assigning various leaders to develop sectoral responses to the programs and decisions of different departments under the Mohan Majhi Government, demonstrating a proactive stance.
On the other hand, the new BJP government's lack of experience in leading a government independently was becoming apparent. The one-month-old government demonstrated its immaturity by initially deciding to remove the legendary Biju Patnaik’s name from a sports award, only to later reverse this decision and retain the name.
Moreover, Mr. Majhi personally visited Mr. Patnaik's residence to invite him to participate in an all-party meeting on Sunday. However, the former CM did not attend the meeting ahead of the new assembly’s first day. This gesture did not sit well with BJP leaders, who believed that the CM should not have gone to extend the invitation, as they argued it demeaned the CM’s position and created a public perception that the BJP was not ready to lead a government.
With Congress joining the ranks of BJD in demanding immediate action against the Governor's son, the Mohan Majhi Government announced that the Puri district collector has been asked to inquire into the matter and submit a report within 15 days on the alleged assault on a government employee in Raj Bhawan, Puri on July 7.
In the 147-member house, 82 MLAs are first-timers. The median age of members in the present assembly is 51.48 years against 52.56 years in the previous assembly. With 51 seats, BJD is the strongest opposition party in the Odisha Legislative Assembly in the last two decades. Apart from leading from the front as Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Patnaik has the additional responsibility of holding the BJD together.