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
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.
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.
