The Odisha Legislative Assembly was adjourned within four minutes of commencement on September 19, 2025, after BJD and Congress members protested the ongoing fertiliser crisis affecting farmers during the kharif season.
BJD legislators, led by Chief Whip Pramila Mallik, accused the BJP government of being “anti-farmer,” demanding an extended debate instead of brief discussions, while calling out black marketing and supply failures.
Despite an accepted adjournment motion, BJD’s continued disruption halted legislative business, while BJP leaders blamed the opposition for derailing democratic dialogue amid growing farmer unrest across the state.
Fertiliser Crisis Sparks Chaos In Odisha Assembly As BJD Leads Protests Against BJP Government
Farmers' fury reaches the legislature — Opposition demands urgent action amid looming kharif crop failure.
Summary
The Odisha Legislative Assembly descended into chaos on September 19, 2025, as opposition members, led by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), erupted in protest over a crippling fertiliser crisis gripping the state’s farmers.
The second day of the monsoon session, meant to address critical government business, lasted a mere four minutes before Speaker Surama Padhy was forced to adjourn the House until 4 p.m. The uproar, marked by sloganeering and placards, underscored the desperation of farmers facing acute shortages during the ongoing kharif season, pushing them to the streets in protest.
According to ANI, as the session opened for Question Hour at 10:30 a.m., BJD legislators stormed the well of the House, brandishing banners and raising slogans against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, accusing it of being “anti-farmer.” Their demand was clear: suspend all other proceedings for an urgent, comprehensive debate on the fertiliser shortage, which they claimed was devastating crops and livelihoods across Odisha.
Outside the Assembly, BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik voiced the anguish, s reported by The Hindu, fueling the protest. “There is a severe shortage of fertilisers currently in the state. Farmers are holding protests at many places as they are not getting adequate amounts. The crops are on the verge of being ruined,” she told reporters, emphasizing that 60% of Odisha’s population depends on agriculture.
The agitation followed a damning admission by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister K.C. Patra on September 18, 2025, acknowledging black marketing of fertilisers across the state. According to The Hindu, BJP MLA Irasis Acharya countered the opposition’s tactics, arguing that their disruptions stifled important discussions, including an adjournment motion on the fertiliser issue that had already been accepted. “The opposition does not believe in democracy in Odisha. If they had faith in democratic principles, they would not have created a ruckus during Question Hour,” he said, highlighting the stalled legislative process.
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