BJD to Keep Watch on BJP: Naveen Patnaik Assigns Ministries to MLAs Ahead of Odisha Assembly

GG News Bureau
Bhubaneswar, 18th July. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik has allocated various departments to his party’s 50 MLAs, empowering them to closely monitor ministry activities and raise pertinent issues in the upcoming session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly, set to commence on July 22. This strategic move is widely viewed as a robust response to the BJP government’s presence in the assembly.

ବିରୋଧୀ ଦଳ ହେଉଛି ଜନସାଧାରଣଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱାର୍ଥର ଜାଗ୍ରତ ପ୍ରହରୀ। ବିଜୁ ଜନତା ଦଳ ବିରୋଧୀ ଦଳ ଭାବେ ରାଜ୍ୟ ସରକାରଙ୍କ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ବିଭାଗର କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କଳାପ ଉପରେ ତୀକ୍ଷ୍ଣ ନଜର ରଖିବ। ଏଥିପାଇଁ ବିରୋଧୀ ଦଳ ନେତା ଶ୍ରୀ @Naveen_Odisha ବିଜୁ ଜନତା ଦଳର ୫୦ ଜଣ ନିର୍ବାଚିତ ସଦସ୍ୟଙ୍କୁ ନିମ୍ନ ସୂଚୀ ଅନୁଯାୟୀ ଦାୟିତ୍ୱ ପ୍ରଦାନ କରିଛନ୍ତି।… pic.twitter.com/uCnpIuxMj7

— Biju Janata Dal (@bjd_odisha) July 17, 2024

On July 8, Patnaik took significant steps within the party by dissolving all state-level office bearers, forming a fresh panel of spokespersons following the BJD’s underwhelming performance in both Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha. However, district-level BJD office bearers will retain their positions, affirmed the former Odisha Chief Minister.

In an official directive, Patnaik declared, “All state-level office bearers of the BJD are hereby dissolved with immediate effect. New appointments for state-level office bearers will be announced shortly.”

Among the key appointments, Santrupt Mishra, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Amar Patnaik, Sasmit Patra, and Pradeep Kumar Majhi have been named as the party’s national spokespersons. Additionally, newly inducted senior BJD leader Santrupt Mishra has been appointed as political secretary to party president Naveen Patnaik.

Furthermore, the BJD has designated 14 leaders as state spokespersons. Notable among them, Pratap Jena will serve as state media coordinator, while Swayam Prakash Mohapatra assumes the role of social media coordinator. Lelin Mohanty and Priyabrata Majhi have been entrusted with the responsibilities of media coordinators.

In the recently concluded 2024 state Assembly elections, the BJD, which had governed Odisha for 24 consecutive years, secured 51 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly but did not win any Lok Sabha seats in the state.