Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal is facing public revolt for the first time and a caucus of “outsiders” in the chief minister’s office wants to capture the state, setting a dangerous trend, BJP leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has claimed.

The education minister, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Sambalpur, also dismissed the speculation that there were any attempts from BJP to enter into an alliance with the BJD.

Pradhan, who is returning to the electoral fray after 15 years, said: “The Odia identity is under threat and this election is all about that identity.”

“The BJD is being run by a group of bureaucrats... The caucus in the chief minister’s office, which has few non-Odia officers, came together and thought let’s exploit the inability of the chief minister and let’s create a vacuum from the back door. Their intention is to capture the state. “This is a very dangerous trend and this is what the public is angry about besides their inaction on the ground,” Pradhan said in a veiled jibe at Naveen’s close aide V.K. Pandian.

A former IAS officer, Pandian last served as a private secretary to Odisha chief minister before quitting the service to join the BJD last year.

Born in Tamil Nadu, Padnian studied in Delhi and started his career as a Punjab cadre IAS officer, but shifted to Odisha cadre after marrying an Odia.

Pradhan said this is the first time the so far popular chief minister is facing the heat from the public.

“The BJD is facing public revolt for the first time... We have been fighting with them for long. We fought elections together too in the past. But 2024 election is a new type of election for them... It is the most difficult election they would be facing,” he said.

The Assembly and parliamentary elections are being simultaneously held in Odisha. Naveen will become the longest-serving chief minister of India if his party wins the upcoming assembly polls. He is already the longest-serving chief minister of Odisha.

Pradhan, however, said Patnaik’s more than two-decade rule has brought little to the people of the state in the way of solid development.

“For the last 24 years, Patnaik has been in charge of the state as the chief minister but on all the fronts, be it social structure, infrastructure, economy, employment generation… This government has been an utter failure,” he said.

The Union minister alleged that the lack of basic facilities is causing largescale migration from the state.

“They do not have any vision or political will power… They do not have any commitment to the society.

“There is a huge anger among the youth, women, tribal people and different sections of the society... This is going to reflect in the voting behaviour. The people will teach them a lesson and there will be a befitting response,” he said.

Pradhan said: “Kabhi to sabr ka bandh tootata hai (The patience crosses its limit at some point). The 2024 elections will be a real test of his popularity... Soon, the BJD will not be seen in the state even by using the binoculars.”