Patnaik becomes BJD president for 9th time, asks party workers to expose BJP's 'false' narrative
Bhubaneswar, Apr 19 (PTI): Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was chosen as the BJD president for the ninth time in a row, on Saturday called upon party workers to expose the alleged false narrative of the ruling BJP.
BJD’s organisational election returning officer PK Deb announced 78-year-old Patnaik as the party president at the state council meeting held at its state headquarters, Sankha Bhawan.
Addressing party leaders and workers after being named as the BJD president, Patnaik said, "We conceded defeat in the last assembly election by a narrow margin, even though our party got more votes. This is because we couldn’t effectively counter the false narrative. Creating a false narrative is the main strategy against the BJD. We should be aggressive in exposing this, especially on social media."
The leader of opposition in the Odisha assembly also said, "We need to improve our social media presence. Technology should be used to tell the truth and the facts, and without technology, we cannot reach out to people."
Patnaik has been the founder president of the regional party and was the lone candidate for the post.
"Patnaik was elected as the BJD president unopposed," Deb said.
In a veiled attack on the ruling BJP, the BJD chief said, "No one should underestimate the organisational strength of our party. The spirit of BJD workers remains very high. They are our real assets."
“I have full faith in BJD workers, brothers and sisters. They are the ones who will give a befitting reply to the propaganda. They will spread the message of our service to every village and city of Odisha,” Patnaik said.
He described the 2000-2024 period as the 'golden age', as the BJD ruled Odisha during these years.
Commencing his speech with the 'Jai Jagannath' chant, Patnaik said that the ideology of his father, Biju Patnaik, continued to remain the guiding principle of the BJD.
“Our principles and ideals are our strength. Whether in the government or not, the Biju Janata Dal has always served the people of Odisha and will continue to do so,” he said.
Claiming that the welfare of the people of Odisha is the BJD’s focus, Patnaik said empowerment of women, farmers, youth, workers, tribals and regional development is his party’s priority.
“The BJD has been working for the pride of Odisha and the state’s interests. Our fight for the rights of the Odisha people will continue. Odisha's pride and the interests of the people are paramount to us,” he said.
As soon as his name was announced as the BJD president, the party's district leaders greeted Patnaik and offered him flowers, paintings and Lord Jagannath’s 'Anga bastra' and 'Maha Prasad'.
The party's state council has 355 members, and 80 of them were elected as state executives, Deb added.
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
