During the concluding session of the Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD) meeting, BJD president Naveen Patnaik made a passionate call to women in Odisha to expose the false promises of the BJP. He highlighted the BJD's commitment to empowering women and emphasized the need to expose the "lies" of the BJP. Patnaik also addressed the issue of crimes against women and expressed hope for the introduction of reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.
The state unit of the BJP has criticized the previous BJD government for corruption that was recently unveiled by the Vigilance department. BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal alleged that during BJD's rule, lower-level staff were targeted and higher-ranking officials like Sunil Kumar Rout, who was linked to VK Pandian and Naveen Patnaik, were spared. However, BJD MLA Prashant Behera defended Naveen Patnaik's clean image and development achievements during his 24 years of rule, stating that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have acknowledged it.
Former IAS officer and close confidant of Naveen Patnaik, V K Pandian announces his withdrawal from active politics amid criticism after the BJD's defeat in the recent polls. Pandian, who had been targeted by the BJP for his Tamil origin, also apologizes for the party's loss and declares that his intent was only to assist Naveen Babu. Patnaik himself defends Pandian and clarifies that he is not his political successor. This move comes after Pandian's announcement that he would quit politics if Patnaik does not take oath as CM on June 9.
After a resounding victory in the Odisha Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has chosen Mohan Majhi as the new Chief Minister of the state. Majhi, who won with a whopping margin of 87,815 votes, will be accompanied by Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida as Deputy Chief Ministers. This marks the first time that BJP will form the government on its own in the state after ruling it in alliance with BJD in 2000 and 2004. The swearing-in ceremony, set to take place on June 12, will see Prime Minister Modi and BJD president Naveen Patnaik in attendance.
After BJD's defeat in the recent elections in Odisha, all eyes are on party supremo Naveen Patnaik to see what his next move will be. Naveen's nephew Arun Patnaik's sudden visit to Bhubaneswar has sparked rumors about his potential succession as leader of the regional party. While some believe Arun may take over, others speculate he may just be providing comfort to Naveen in the aftermath of the election loss. With Naveen having previously stated that his political successor is not Pandian, many are looking to Arun as a potential leader for BJD. Stay updated on this developing story.
Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reached out to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu to offer his congratulations on the latter's success in the recent state elections. Naidu's TDP emerged victorious for the consecutive fifth time in Andhra Pradesh, securing a majority with 151 out of 175 assembly seats. Patnaik, who has been in power in Odisha since 2000, expressed his best wishes and support for Naidu's future endeavors.
In an exclusive interview with news wire service ANI, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik refuted gossips in the power corridors about the possibility of V Karthikeyan Pandian succeeding him. He stated that the people of Odisha will decide about his successor and expressed confidence in his party's prospects in the 2024 general elections. However, Patnaik's response triggered a response from the opposition BJP, who accused him of lying and questioned why Pandian was given all the power in the state.
BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda took to Twitter to express concern over the viral video of BJD leader VK Pandian controlling the hand movements of CM Naveen Patnaik. He accused Pandian of manipulating the CM for his own ambition and urged the people to reject this 'puppeteer' influence. The video has sparked outrage in Odisha, with even Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma criticizing Pandian for allegedly controlling Patnaik's hand movements. In response, Patnaik released a video message and dismissed BJP's claims as a non-issue.
In a shocking revelation, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared that Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, does not have a telephone connection in his room at Naveen Niwas and the TV only shows English news channels. He also accused Patnaik of having control over the Congress party in Odisha and of implementing a strategy to reject schemes associated with Prime Minister Modi. In response, Congress leaders deny the allegations and claim that the people of Odisha are now turning to them instead. Radio silence from Patnaik's party, BJD, on the matter.
The political tension in the state of Odisha has risen as the BJP has accused Naveen Patnaik's aide, V K Pandian, of taking major decisions on behalf of the CM. While Patnaik denies any succession plan, the opposition alleges that Pandian is being groomed as Patnaik's successor. The PM's recent comments have added fuel to the fire, hinting at a conspiracy behind Patnaik's declining health. However, Pandian, who has served as Patnaik's private secretary, has never claimed to be his successor and continues to admire Patnaik as his mentor.