Naveen Patnaik deputes 2 BJD leaders to DMK-powered meeting on delimitation

A BJD statement said the former Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik and former minister Sanjay Dasburma will represent the party at the Joint Action Committee meeting

Published on: Mar 21, 2025, 18:26:35 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik has deputed former MP Amar Patnaik and former minister Sanjay Dasburma to attend the meeting on delimitation convened by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Saturday in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu minister TRB Rajaa and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran invited Biju Janata Dal leader Naveen Patnaik to the meeting on delimitation convened by the DMK. (X/@arivalayam)

A BJD statement said the former Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik and former minister Sanjay Dasburma will represent the party at the Joint Action Committee meeting convened by Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin.

Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa and MP Dayanidhi Maran met Patnaik at his residence in Bhubaneswar on March 11 to invite him to the meeting.

Delimitation refers to the redrawing of electoral boundaries based on census data, with the next major revision scheduled after 2026, raising fears among southern states of losing political representation due to slower population growth compared to northern states.

Naveen’s go-ahead for the BJD to be a part of the meeting was criticised by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Odisha unit, which accused the BJD of getting closer to the DMK.

Criticising the BJD’s decision to attend the delimitation meeting, food supplies minister Krushna Chandra Patra said the opposition BJD could join the other camp for its security.

“This is BJD’s own decision. We have no problem with the stage set by Stalin on delimitation row. However, the BJD delegation attending the meeting in Chennai has no relevance. The team, which will not play the match, will go for the participation. It does not matter whether the BJD will attend the meeting or not, but the party will be dissolved in future. There is no problem if the BJD changes equation. The BJP and NDA are capable of running the entire nation as well as the state,” Patra said.

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

Naveen Patnaik

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