Irasis Acharya is an Indian politician from Odisha and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has been a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Bhatli since June 2024. He was previously the state president of the Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP, and served as the BJP's Odisha state secretary from 2023 to 2025.
Career Acharya holds a 2013 Master of Laws degree from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. He was an assistant professor at KIIT University from September 2013 until at least 2017. Acharya was president of the Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) by 2021. He was separately a state secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Odisha unit from 2023 to 2025.
Arrests and cases In 2018, police in Bargarh arrested Acharya in connection with a firing incident at Bhatli on 1 June 2018. Acharya said the arrest was politically motivated, and BJYM activists protested against it. In January 2025, he was acquitted in the case. In November 2021, police arrested him in Bhatli ahead of a visit by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Bargarh.
On 28 February 2023, Acharya and 21 other BJYM activists were arrested in Bhubaneswar after a clash with police during a BJYM rally protesting the state's law and order situation following the killing of minister Naba Das. About 20 police personnel were reported injured. BJYM leaders said police had used excessive force and that the charges were false. The Orissa High Court granted bail on 20 April 2023 and Acharya was released from Jharpada Special Jail on 22 April 2023.
In his 2024 election affidavit, Acharya declared six pending criminal cases and no convictions.
Elections Acharya contested the 2019 Odisha Legislative Assembly election from Bhatli as the BJP candidate. He received 75,434 votes (around 41%) and lost to Susanta Singh of the Biju Janata Dal by 23,232 votes. He contested Bhatli again in the 2024 election and won with 107,508 votes (around 55%), defeating Susanta Singh by 27,892 votes. He took office on 4 June 2024.
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