Tikhiri Sarpanch Chameli Ojha Resigns from BJP After Prolonged Protest

Chameli Ojha, the elected sarpanch of Tikhiri village in Kendrapara district, announced on July 18, 2026 that she was resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party. The decision came at the end of a six‑day protest she led on Gandhi Marg, where she also began an indefinite hunger strike.

Ojha, who became a BJP member in 2024, said she had devoted herself to building the party’s grassroots network – canvassing, organising rallies and trying to bring more women into the fold. Yet, when she raised concerns about what she described as harassment and physical assault by Mahakalapada Block Development Officer Rabinarayan Acharya and Inspector‑in‑Charge Manas Mallick, the party’s senior leaders remained conspicuously silent.

"A party that cannot respect a woman and ensure justice has no meaning for me to continue," Ojha wrote in her resignation letter, a statement that echoed the frustration she voiced during the protest. She accused the BJP leadership of ignoring her grievances and failing to protect her, despite her active role in the organization.

The protest began on July 13, when Ojha launched an indefinite hunger strike at Lower PMG, demanding administrative and legal action against the two officials she accused of misconduct. Over the next few days, supporters gathered, banners flew, and the sarpanch’s pleas were amplified on social media, yet no senior BJP figure stepped forward to mediate.

In her final address at Gandhi Marg, Ojha reiterated her commitment to the community but said she could no longer stay in a party that, in her view, “does not stand up for a woman leader.” She also hinted that she would continue to fight for justice, possibly through other political or civil‑society channels.

The resignation adds a new layer of tension to Odisha’s already charged political climate, where issues of gender, local governance and party discipline are increasingly in the spotlight.