BJD president Naveen Patnaik accuses BJP of spreading false narratives in Odisha

Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik was unanimously re-elected as Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president for the ninth time in a row on Saturday

Published on: Apr 19, 2025, 14:57:47 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was on Saturday unanimously re-elected as Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president for the ninth time in a row, accused the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of continuing to spread false narratives against the BJD.

Former Odisha chief minister Naveen-Patnaik said that BJD lost the assembly polls last year with a narrow margin as it couldn’t effectively counter the false narrative (Filed photo)

Patnaik said that the BJD lost the assembly polls last year by a narrow margin as it couldn’t effectively counter the false narrative. “We should be aggressive in exposing this false narrative especially in social media. I have full faith in the BJD workers, brothers and sisters. They are the ones who will give a befitting reply to the false propaganda. We need to strongly improve our social media presence and use technology to tell facts,” he said.

Patnaik called BJD’s rule in Odisha from 2000 to 2024 a “golden era,” marked by “transformative development” that positioned the state as a “model” for others. “With the people’s blessings, we elevated Odisha’s stature in numerous fields,” he added.

Also Read: Naveen Patnaik attacks Odisha BJP, says it’s ‘demeaning great sons of the soil’

Patnaik is expected to soon announce the new state executive committee, including members of its women, youth, and student wings. He is also likely to abolish the post of organisational secretary and revive the secretary general post, an official said.

Though Patnaik remains the party’s most prominent face, several veteran leaders have questioned the party’s stance during its controversial voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Veteran party leader Ranendra Pratap Swain, in a letter to Patnaik last week, asked him to reaffirm the party’s commitment to social justice and secularism. Swain also wrote that Odisha continues to lag behind in several human development indicators despite 24 years of BJD rule, while displacement of tribals and deforestation remain major challenges.

Also Read: Senior BJD MLA urges Naveen Patnaik to demand caste census in Odisha

“This is a moment to reclaim our ideological legacy and reassert our identity as a party rooted in Social Justice—with secularism and regional dignity as its pillars,” Swain wrote, who skipped the Saturday meeting along with a few other senior leaders.

Political analyst Satya Prakash Dash said the organisational elections might signal whether the BJD will double down on its regional identity or explore alliances, such as rejoining the NDA or aligning with the opposition INDIA bloc, to regain political relevance. “BJD’s decision to distance itself from both the BJP and Congress at the national level has limited its influence in New Delhi,” Dash added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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