BJD reaffirms trust in Naveen Patnaik as party chief for ninth straight term

Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been elected as the President of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the ninth consecutive time. Patnaik has held the position continuously since the party was founded in 1997.

As no other nominations were filed for the post, he was elected unopposed. The official announcement was made at the party headquarters, Shankh Bhawan, on Saturday.

BJD leader Pradeep Majhi expressed the sentiments of the party workers, stating, “Countless workers and leaders of the Biju Janata Dal were eagerly waiting for this moment. With Naveen Patnaik re-elected as our leader, we will work like vigilant soldiers and strive to bring the party back to power in 2029.”

Looking ahead to the 2025 organisational elections, BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said that the party president will be responsible for selecting workers and members in the seventh round of the internal polls. The appointments will be finalised by the State Council and Executive Committee.

Earlier, on April 15, the BJD had announced the names of presidents for 18 out of its 32 organisational districts.