Naveen set to become BJD president for the 5th time

"I have received only one paper - that of Naveen Patnaik for the post of party president," said Pravat Tripathy, the state Returning Officer and BJD chief whip in the assembly said after the time for filing nominations ended today.

Tripathy said scrutiny of the nomination paper would be held tomorrow and the party would formally declare the name of its president on January 28.

Patnaik is the founder president of the BJD, which came into being after the death of Biju Patnaik in 1997. Party's organisational elections are held every three years.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das accompanied by others filed Patnaik's paper at the state party headquarters here. Besides Das, nine others including MP Baijyant Panda and senior MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo were the proposers.

"The BJD working committee will hold its meeting on January 28 before name of the party president is declared," Tripathy said adding all democratic procedures are being followed in the election.