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LS polls: Two sides of same coin, says Congress on possible BJP-BJD tie-up

The Congress on Thursday said it has always been stating that the BJD and the BJP are two sides of the same coin and whatever opposition the two show to each other in Odisha is merely "shadow boxing". The Congress' assertion comes amid buzz over a tie-up between the BJP and the BJD for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "We've always been saying that the BJD and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. The BJD has always supported the BJP in Parliament and whatever opposition the two show to each other in the state is merely shadow boxing." "The cat appears to be emerging out of the bag!" he said. Although there was no formal announcement regarding a pre-poll alliance between the ruling BJD and the Opposition BJP in Odisha, leaders from both parties have hinted at a mutual tie-up before the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. While BJD leaders held a marathon meeting at Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Ministe

15 years after severing ties, Naveen Patnaik's BJD set to return to NDA

For the BJP, a formal alliance with BJD will not only improve morale but also provide a huge boost to the saffron party's goal of 370 Lok Sabha seats and 400-plus for the NDA

Why are the BJD and BJP joining forces against Congress in Odisha

The alliance is likely to be formally announced soon. It will mark a return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of one of its original constituents

PM Modi to unveil development projects worth over Rs 19,600 cr in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore in Odisha on March 5. The prime minister will unveil the projects from a function in Chandikhole in Jajpur district, an official statement said. March 5 also happens to be the birth anniversary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik, after whom the ruling BJD is named. Following the official programme, he will address a rally of the BJP in Jajpur, considered a stronghold of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The PM will inaugurate Indian Oil Corp's mono ethylene glycol project at the Paradip Refinery. He will also inaugurate a 344-km-long product pipeline from Paradip in Odisha to Haldia in West Bengal. He will also inaugurate 0.6 mmtpa LPG import facility at Paradip. Modi will dedicate to the nation four-laning of the Singhara-Binjabahal section of NH-49, four-laning of the Binjabahal-Tileibani section of NH-49, four-laning of the Balasore-Jharpokharia section of NH-18, and four-laning of the ...

No alliance with BJD in Odisha, says BJP state chief Manmohan Samal

BJP Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal on Friday said there would be no alliance with any political party, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Following his return from the national capital, where he attended the party's election management committee meeting, Samal told reporters that the BJP will field its candidates in all 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly constituencies in Odisha. "It is a rumour being spread by some unknown force. We have no plans for any alliance with the BJD," Samal said.

Deciphering Naveen Patnaik: What is Odisha CM's political grammar?

The Odisha CM was once seen as the quintessential outsider, partly because of his struggle with the Odia language. Now he stands on the cusp of history

More than 10,000 people have applied for BJD tickets for LS, Assembly polls

More than 10,000 people have applied for Biju Janata Dal (BJD) tickets for the upcoming Lok Sabha and the Odisha Assembly elections which will be held simultaneously, a senior party leader said. The Odisha Assembly has a strength of 147 MLAs while there are 21 Lok Sabha MP seats in the state. "More than 10,000 people, including many professionals, have applied for party tickets for the coming polls", BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das said in a post on X. "We strongly believe that BJD is moving towards a historic victory in this election with the blessings of 4.5 crore people of Odisha", Das said. The BJD leader claimed that the people of Odisha have already made up their minds to install Naveen Patnaik as the chief minister for the sixth consecutive time. "The BJD is all set to register a massive victory in the upcoming elections", Das claimed. The BJD leader claimed that all the national-level survey reports in recent years have found Naveen Patnaik as the number o

Former Congress MLA Anshuman Mohanty whot quit 2 days ago, joins BJD

Former Congress MLA Anshuman Mohanty joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal here. Mohanty, who was also the Congress Kendrapara District president, had quit the party two days ago. Many of his supporters also joined the BJD in the presence of senior leaders including organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das at the BJD headquarters here on Friday. Later Mohanty visited Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and met him. Mohanty was the Rajnagar MLA from 2014 to 2019. He, however, lost the 2019 election to BJD's Dhruba Sahoo.

Rajya Sabha elections: BJP fields Vaishnaw from Odisha; BJD extends support

The Bharatiya Janata Party has released names of four candidates for Madhya Pradesh and one for Odisha for Rajya Sabha biennial elections, slated for February 27

Veteran BJD leader, 10-time Odisha MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo dies at 87

Veteran BJD leader and 10-time Odisha MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo died at a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday while undergoing treatment, officials said. She was 87. Deo breathed her last at about 1 am after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other senior party leaders met her at the hospital on Friday night, they said. She belonged to the royal family of Khallikote. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and many other dignitaries expressed their condolence on the demise of Deo. "Saddened to know about the demise of V Sugnana Kumar Deo. She was a very senior leader of BJD and she made a lot of contributions towards the party. She has left her mark in the public service by representing both Khalikote and Kabisuryanagar. She was elected to the Assembly 10 times, It is an irreparable loss. May her soul rest in peace and my deepest condolence to the bereaved family", Patnaik said in a post on X. Deo was first elected to

BJP-BJD 'partnership' in Odisha, alleges Rahul Gandhi ahead of LS polls

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the BJP and BJD has a "partnership" in Odisha and the Congress has been opposing them to protect the interest of the people of the state. Gandhi resumed his 'Bharat Joda Nyay Yatra' in Odisha's steel city here. In a brief speech, he said: "As you know Naveen Patnaik and Narendra Modi run a partnership government in Odisha. They both have joined hands and work in tandem. I find in Parliament that BJD supports the BJP. The BJD people also disturb us at the instance of BJP". Gandhi claimed that it is the Congress party alone which has been opposing the BJD-BJP combine for the people of Odisha. Gandhi said: "I have come to Odisha to open a shop of love in the market of hatred. ('Nafrat ki bazaar me mohabbat ki dukan khulne aaya hu')". The Congress leader also came down heavily on Odisha's BJD government saying that as many as 30 lakh people from the state have migrated as labourers to other states for livelihood as the state government "was not

Five-time MLA, former BJD minister Balabhadra Majhi joins Congress

Five-time MLA and former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) minister Balabhadra Majhi has joined the Congress

Law and order has 'collapsed' in Odisha: Dharmendra Pradhan attacks BJD

Calling Odisha's Biju Janata Dal government as "arrogant", Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that the law and order machinery has "completely collapsed" in the state and victims do not get justice. Pradhan said this at a meeting in the BJP state headquarters here on Tuesday. "Ruling BJD leaders are too arrogant and the people will teach them a lesson in the next elections," the Union Education minister said. However, Pradhan's allegations were rejected by BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das, who accused the former of not doing anything for the state and also for his home district of Angul. He also highlighted bad road conditions of national highways passing through the Union minister's home district of Angul. Pradhan alleged that the ruling Biju Janata Dal party leaders were involved in the exploitation and killing of a woman school teacher in Kalahandi district. The prime accused in the sensational woman teacher murder case was killed inside the jail. "The government has no ans

With Jagannatha temple corridor, Naveen Patnaik's BJD looks to one-up BJP

With the grand unveiling of the Jagannatha heritage corridor, Naveen Patnaik plans to undercut any gains the BJP may have in Odisha because of the Ayodhya event

BJP's plea against BJD for using symbol to promote welfare schemes declined

The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea by BJP leader Jatin Mohanty seeking action against the Biju Janta Dal government in Odisha for using its party symbol of conch' while promoting the government's welfare schemes in advertisements. The court questioned the petitioner for approaching it instead of going to the Orissa High Court when the advertisements were being issued there. Why are you here? Go to Odisha and raise it before the appropriate court, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said. It said it is not unique to one state and it is the story of every state now. As the bench was not inclined to entertain the plea, Mohanty's counsel sought liberty to withdraw the petition and file it before a court having jurisdiction over the issue which was allowed. The petitioner alleged there was arbitrary use and misuse of public funds by the BJD which was indulging in advertising various state government schemes, using the 'Conch' .

BJD, Congress, BJP in slugfest over I-T raids on Odisha distilleries

With the income-tax department seizing over Rs 350-crore unaccounted cash during a series of raids on distilleries, three major political parties in Odisha have virtually entered into a slugfest, accusing each other of patronising illegality in the country-liquor trade in the state. While the opposition BJP on Monday organised demonstrations in all sub-divisions, the ruling BJD held a press conference in a bid to expose the "evil design" of the saffron party. The Congress, in a statement, blamed both the BJD and BJP and claimed that it was unnecessarily dragged into the controversy. The income-tax department continued its searches in different places linked to an Odisha-based distillery group on charges of tax evasion for the sixth consecutive day on Monday, recovering unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 353 crore so far. Responding to a call by BJP state president Manmohan Samal, party leaders and workers took part in the protests across the state, holding placards and banners. Th

V K Pandian, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik's former aide, joins Biju Janata Dal

The development holds significance for the BJD ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls, as the party has started bolstering its organisational units in various constituencies

Lines drawn over Odisha govt's third attempt to amend tribal land law

Odisha's political arena ignites as the BJD government takes a third swing at amending a decades-old law, leaving the fate of tribal land hanging in the balance and opinions on fire

INDIA bloc to hold protests against BJD, BJP in Odisha's Rayagada, Balasore

The opposition bloc INDIA will hold demonstrations in Rayagada and Balaore next month to protest against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the BJD dispensation in the state for "failing" to fulfil promises they had made for the people of Odisha, a Congress leader said on Saturday. A meeting of all anti-BJD and anti-BJP parties was held here on Friday evening to decide on protest rallies, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak said. "The Naveen Patnaik government in the state and the Centre have failed to deliver on promises they have made for the people of Odisha. Both the BJD and the BJP have made false promises. We are going to hold 'Janakrosh' rallies at Rayagada and Balasore on November 8 and 15 respectively, Pattanayak told PTI. The OPCC president also said the opposition bloc INDIA would hold demonstrations in other parts of the state in the coming days. He alleged that Odisha became "a poor state" under the BJD regime as the governmen

Former Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro passes away at 75

Surjya Narayan Patro took over as the Speaker in 2019 and resigned from the post in 2022