Odisha BJP state president Manmohan Samal.
| Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday (June 3, 2025) accused State BJP president Manmohan Samal of submitting two sets of information—one for the State Bar Council elections and another to the Election Commission—alleging that he deliberately suppressed unfavourable details. The BJD termed this suppression of information as a violation of integrity and ethical standards.

Raising serious concerns over the “contradictory and false information” submitted by the BJP president, the BJD stated, “As someone holding the high position of a State President of a national party, such discrepancies cast doubt on his ethics and credibility.”

Addressing a press conference, BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty said, “In an affidavit submitted to the State Bar Council in 2015, Mr. Samal stated that he has been practicing as a lawyer at Chandabali Court since 1986. However, in that same affidavit, he failed to disclose that he had served as Minister of Food Supplies and Revenue in the State Cabinet from 2004 to 2009.”

“On the other hand, in affidavits submitted to the Election Commission during the 2019 and 2024 general elections, Mr. Samal made no mention of his legal practice. Instead, he listed social service as his profession,” Mr. Mohanty alleged.

The regional party added, “Following a formal complaint regarding this discrepancy, the State Bar Council has reportedly issued a show-cause notice to Mr. Samal.”

Mr. Mohanty further said that both affidavits submitted by Mr. Samal contained concealed and contradictory information. He demanded that Mr. Samal respond to the show-cause notice and issue a public clarification. The party called for strict action against Mr. Samal for this serious violation.

Despite the BJP achieving unprecedented success in last year’s election, Mr. Samal has failed to win the Assembly election from the Chandbali Assembly constituency.