Naveen Patnaik Revamps BJD, Brings Back Political Affairs Committee

After assuming the charge of the party president ninth time in a row, BJD president and five-time Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik Monday revamped the regional party and brought back political affairs committee (PAC).

Though the BJD initially had the PAC, the highest decision-making body of the party, it later became defunct.

The PAC was brought back after the party lost power after ruling the state for 24 years in a row from 2000, a senior BJD leader said.

While Mr Patnaik himself will lead the PAC, senior leaders like Bikram Keshari Arukh, Pramila Mallick, Niranjan Pujari, Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, Pranab Prakash Das, Sudam Marndi, Tikuni Sahu, Sasmit Patra and Santrupt Mishra are made the members of the panel.

This apart, Mr Patnaik also appointed new state-level office-bearers for the regional party and the number of the new team was 71, the BJD said.

The party will have seven senior vice presidents, eight vice presidents, 20 senior general secretaries, 31 general secretaries and one treasurer in Mr Patnaik's new team.

The BJD president had dissolved all organisational committees of the party soon after its defeat in the 2024 simultaneously Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha.

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