In a significant development, legislators from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha have formally urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to reconsider a recently passed proposal for a substantial hike in the salaries and allowances of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and ministers. This move comes amidst growing public discontent over the timing and scale of the increase.
Mounting Pressure Forces a Rethink
The controversy stems from four key legislations passed by the Odisha state assembly on December 9, 2025. These bills proposed a three-fold increase in the monthly earnings of MLAs and ministers, including the chief minister, speaker, and deputy speaker. Following the passage, the government faced immediate and widespread criticism from the public, leading to internal party pressure.
On Thursday, December 18, BJP MLAs held a meeting at the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar. After detailed deliberations, they submitted a collective representation to Chief Minister Majhi, requesting a review of the decision. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling confirmed the action, stating it was taken to respect public sentiment.
"There was a detailed deliberation on the recent four bills passed in the state assembly regarding hike in the salary and allowances of the MLAs and others. To respect the public sentiment, all the BJP MLAs have given a representation to the chief minister to review and consider the decision of salary hike," Mahaling said.
The Numbers Behind the Controversy
The proposed hike is undeniably substantial. According to the provisions of the bills:
- The monthly salary and allowances for MLAs would jump from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh, making them the highest-paid legislators in the country.
- The earnings for the chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, deputy chief ministers, ministers, Leader of Opposition, and chief whips would range between Rs 3.50 lakh and Rs 3.68 lakh per month.
While moving the legislation, Minister Mahaling had initially justified the hike by citing the current rate of inflation and noting that the last revision occurred in 2018. However, officials estimated the decision would place an additional annual financial burden of Rs 45 crore to Rs 50 crore on the state exchequer.
Internal Displeasure and Political Repercussions
BJP insiders revealed that the MLAs were directed to submit the representation specifically in light of the severe public backlash. It is also learnt that the central BJP leadership expressed displeasure over the move, concerned about its political optics.
An unnamed BJP leader highlighted the core issue: "Even though a hike in the salary and allowances was justified as the last hike was done in 2018, a three-fold hike and making it the highest in the country should not have been done. The BJP government is yet to complete two years in office and there are other priorities. An exorbitant hike in the salary of MLAs would bring bad name to the government."
The political fallout had already begun before the BJP's internal meeting. Although the bills passed with support from the BJP, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and the Congress, CPI(M) legislator Laxman Munda opposed them. More notably, former chief minister and current Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, declined to accept the hiked amount.
In a letter to CM Majhi on December 13, Patnaik announced he would forgo the increase and urged that the money be used for the welfare of the poor in Odisha.
With the legislation currently awaiting the governor's assent, the government is now likely to withdraw the bills following the BJP MLAs' representation. This episode underscores the sensitivity of such financial decisions, especially for a relatively new government facing public scrutiny over its spending priorities.
