Naveen Patnaik files nomination for post of BJD president for 9th time
Bhubaneswar, Apr 17 (PTI): Leader of Opposition in Odisha assembly, Naveen Patnaik, on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the post of BJD president for the ninth time here.
The former chief minister was the sole candidate for the post, said BJD’s returning officer for the organisational elections, Pratap K Deb.
Patnaik has been elected BJD president eight times in a row since the party’s inception in 1997. He was last elected to the post in February 2020.
He filed his nomination papers on the 28th death anniversary of his father Biju Patnaik, after whom the regional party, the Biju Janata Dal, is named.
“The time for filing nominations was between 10 am and 1 pm. We have received only one nomination from Naveen Patnaik and the name of the president will be announced on April 19 at Sankha Bhawan,” Deb said.
Earlier on April 15, the BJD had announced names of 18 district presidents, who were elected unopposed, in the fourth phase of the organisational elections.
Two more phases are due to be held in the next two days, Deb said.
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Pak, India agree to immediate ceasefire, US says it mediated the truce
Washington, May 10 (PTI): President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that India and Pakistan have agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after talks mediated by the US.
The US-brokered ceasefire came hours after militaries of India and Pakistan attacked each other’s military facilities, dangerously escalating the ongoing conflict.
"After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE," the US president announced in a post on Truth Social.
"Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump added.
The announcement by Trump came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir.
Rubio also made a similar statement on X.
"Over the past 48 hours, @VP Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik," he said.
He said he was "pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site".
"We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace," he added.
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed the ceasefire with immediate effect.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2025
