Bhubaneswar, June 26 (UDN): A day after formally joining the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), former IAS officer Sujata Karthikeyan met senior party leader and organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, popularly known as Bobby Das, at the party headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, on Friday, triggering fresh political discussions within the state's opposition camp.
The meeting assumes significance as Bobby Das was conspicuously absent from Sujata's induction programme held on Thursday, a development that had sparked widespread speculation in political circles and on social media.
Despite skipping the induction event, Bobby had publicly welcomed Sujata into the party through a social media post. His absence, however, drew attention, particularly as several other senior BJD leaders were also not present during the programme.
Sources said Sujata and Bobby held discussions at Sankha Bhawan on Friday morning, although neither side disclosed the details of the meeting. The interaction has since become a subject of intense political interest, with observers interpreting it as an effort to strengthen internal coordination within the party following Sujata's formal entry into active politics.
Political analysts believe the meeting could be significant in shaping Sujata's future role within the BJD, given her administrative background and growing prominence in Odisha's political landscape.
While speculation continues over the reasons behind Bobby Das' absence from the induction ceremony, party functionaries maintained that the BJD remains united and committed to strengthening its organisational structure. They reiterated that the induction of Sujata Karthikeyan reflects the party's ongoing efforts to broaden its leadership base and enhance organisational outreach.
Notably, several senior leaders, including Bhupinder Singh, Prasanna Kumar Acharya, Raja Swain, Latika Pradhan, Bikram Keshari Arukha and Badri Narayan Patra, were also absent from the joining programme.
