‘Not an AC room activist,’ Pradhan tells Cong MP after warm welcome by BJP MPs in parliament
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Not an AC room activist,’ Pradhan tells Cong MP after warm welcome by BJP MPs in parliament")
Dharmendra Pradhan is one of BJP's tallest leaders in Odisha, and has been entrusted with key responsibilities by party Photograph: (ANI)
Dharmendra Pradhan recently served as the BJP's in-charge for the Bihar Assembly elections before playing an important role in its West Bengal campaign, where the party formed its first government in the state in May. He was also election in-charge for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Former union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan returned to Parliament on Monday and was greeted with chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad” as BJP and NDA MPs gathered at the Makar Dwar entrance to receive him. After giving him a hero’s welcome and felicitating him with a traditional cap and shawl, his colleagues escorted him into the Parliament complex.
Pradhan has resigned as union education minister amid mounting pressure from the CJP-led nationwide protests, which had made accountability for the alleged NEET paper leak and his resignation two of their central demands.
The show of solidarity from the ruling alliance triggered sharp criticism from the opposition, with Congress accusing the BJP of glorifying a leader who resigned amid a major examination crisis.
Pradhan had announced his resignation on Saturday in a post on X, saying, “I am pained to see the events of the past 10 days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me.”
“India’s youth power is the real strength of this nation. My resolve is that we will not let the country’s youth get trapped in a vicious cycle of confusion,” he added.
‘I am a street fighter, not AC room activist’: Pradhan
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However, Pradhan’s brief but sharp exchange with Congress MP Jairam Ramesh was seen as a signal that he remains politically confident despite stepping down from the Cabinet and is ready to take on his next assignment.
One BJP MP remarked that it was perhaps the first time when a Union minister had resigned without facing any personal allegation.
At this instance, Jairam Ramesh approached Pradhan and expressed sympathy over his resignation.
“It happens,” the Congress leader told him.
“Nothing happened,” Pradhan retorted and added, “I am a street fighter. Not an AC room activist.”
Apart from being one of the party's tallest leaders in Odisha, Pradhan has repeatedly been entrusted with key organisational and electoral responsibilities.
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Most recently, he served as the BJP's in-charge for the Bihar Assembly elections before playing an important role in its West Bengal campaign, where the party formed its first government in the state in May 2026.
After the setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Pradhan was appointed by BJP as the in-charge of the Haryana Assembly polls, where the party retained power. He had earlier handled key responsibilities in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka, contributing to the BJP’s victories in those states.
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He had served as the BJP’s election in-charge for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, and there is now speculation that Pradhan could be given a key organisational position or entrusted with leading the party’s campaign in one of the five states headed for Assembly elections.
The BJP leadership has also rallied behind Pradhan after his resignation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Pradhan’s residence, while BJP president Nitin Nabin and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh publicly praised his contribution to the education sector.
