Naveen Patnaik becomes BJD president for 9th time

Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was chosen as the BJD president for the ninth time in a row, on Saturday called upon party workers to expose the alleged false narrative of the ruling BJP. BJD’s organisational election returning officer PK Deb announced 78-year-old Patnaik as the party president at the state council meeting held at its headquarters, Sankha Bhawan. Addressing party leaders and workers after being named as the BJD president, Patnaik said, "We conceded defeat in the last assembly election by a narrow margin, even though our party got more votes. This is because we couldn’t effectively counter the false narrative. Creating a false narrative is the main strategy against the BJD. We should be aggressive in exposing this, especially on social media."
Naveen said that the party got the opportunity to serve the people from 2000 to 2024, and it was a golden period for Odisha. “Odisha emerged as a model state for its pioneering work in different sectors,” he said. Naveen warned the Opposition not to underestimate the organisational strength of the BJD. “The spirit of the workers of the BJD is high. They are the assets of the party. Whether the party remains in power or not, it would continue to work for the people of the state,” Naveen said. He said the empowerment of Odisha was the party’s prime focus “Regional development is our focus. The party is always connected with the Odia pride and the interests of Odisha. We will continue to fight for our just demand. The Odia pride and interest is above everything,” he said.