Naveen elected BJD supremo for fifth time

Party's organizational elections saw 27 new faces in 81-member council

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik was elected president of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the fifth time on a trot, reaffirming his clout as the party's unchallenged leader.

The incumbent BJD supremo was the only candidate to have filed nomination papers for the post.

"He was elected unopposed”, said the party's returning officer and government chief whip Prabhat Tripathy.

The party's organizational elections, a triennial affair, saw 27 new faces in the newly constituted 81-member state executive council including Debi Prasad Mishra, Dillip Tirkey, Ananta Narayan Jena, Bhagirathi Badajena and Debashis Nayak to name a few.

The organizational revamp was marked by exit of three former ministers-Anjali Behera, Sarada Prasad Nayak and Sanjeev Sahoo and also Jyotiskar Mohapatra, former chief of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) - all perceived to be loyalists of expelled BJD leader-Pyari Mohan Mohapatra

"My government is committed to the all round development of the state. I want a hunger free Odisha where the poor tribals and Dalits get proper justice”, Patnaik said addressing a huge gathering.

After the latest organizational rejig, there are nine vice presidents, 10 general secretaries, 10 secretaries and a treasurer in the party.