All posts tagged: BJD

Pradhan says he quit after attempts made to 'mislead' Gen Z during NEET protests

Pradhan says he quit after attempts made to 'mislead' Gen Z during NEET protests

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Senior BJP leader and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said attempts were made to “mislead” Gen Z during the protests over the NEET paper leak issue, prompting him to quit as Union Education Minister. Pradhan broke his silence on his resignation while addressing students and teachers at GM University here, exactly two weeks after he stepped down amid massive protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the issue. “Gen Z is our children. Some people attempted to mislead them. I had no personal issues then. At least two crore children are born in India every year. During the last 10 years, 20 crore children were born. They have aspirations, and they will make India the ”Vishwa Guru”. The post was not important to me,” Pradhan said. He said he had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign from the Union Council of Ministers. Pradhan resigned from the ministry on July 25. At another meeting in Rairakhol, Pradhan hit out at former Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, saying he was …

VK Pandian’s wife Sujata Rout Karthikeyan joins BJD, Naveen Patnaik clarifies leadership question

VK Pandian’s wife Sujata Rout Karthikeyan joins BJD, Naveen Patnaik clarifies leadership question

Published by Parlour News

Former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan formally joined ex-Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal on Thursday, with Patnaik himself announcing her induction into the party at the headquarters Shankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. Sujata Rout Karthikeyan is widely credited with expanding Mission Shakti, the women’s empowerment programme of the previous BJD government. (ANI screengrab) Sujata is the wife of Patnaik’s close aide and bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, whom many in the BJD had blamed for the party being voted out of power in the state in 2024 after more than two decades of rule. “I would like to welcome Sujata Rout to the BJD. She will be joining the party as a simple member. She has been an IAS officer and held several important positions, including her last assignment where she looked after many women of our state,” Patnaik said while announcing Sujata’s induction. “I am sure, as time passes, she will get used to her new position. She will learn to lead people, particularly women,” he added. Some senior BJD leaders had earlier opposed …

BJD criticised Centre for alleged delay in approval of Odisha Coastal Highway Project

BJD criticised Centre for alleged delay in approval of Odisha Coastal Highway Project

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The Biju Janata Dal criticised the Narendra Modi Government for allegedly delaying and altering the Odisha Coastal Highway Project, which was announced during 2015 Reacting to the approval of the Union Cabinet for the Coastal Highway between Rameshwar and Paradip connecting Konark, the BJD said ₹8301-crore coastal highway project was approved after long wait of 11 years. The regional party observed the Central Government completely disregarded the hopes and aspirations of the people of Odisha stating that the project was not merely a road project but a historic initiative linked to Odisha’s destiny, future, tourism, economy, and the overall development of the coastal region. “In 2015, during the Nabakalebara of Lord Jagannath, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had announced the construction of a nearly 450-kilometre-long Coastal Highway from Gopalpur to Digha at Pipili in Puri district. Along with this, he had also promised the development of the Capital Region Ring Road and the upgradation of the Rameshwar–Chandanpur road by granting it National Highway status,” said BJD leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma. “It is a matter of …

Debashish Samantaray quits BJD and Rajya Sabha membership, set to join BJP

Debashish Samantaray quits BJD and Rajya Sabha membership, set to join BJP

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BJD MP Debashish Samantaray. Picture: Screenshot from video posted on X/@ANI The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Debashish Samantaray on Monday (May 25, 2026) quit the party and also resigned from the Rajya Sabha, alleging that he was being “systematically belittled” in the organisation. Hours after resigning from the party, Mr. Samantaray said he met Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan in Parliament and submitted his resignation from the Upper House. A long-time associate of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, Mr. Samantaray said he would soon join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that talks with the saffron party leadership had been finalised. Sources said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and State BJP president Manmohan Samal are in New Delhi, and Mr. Samantaray may join the BJP in their presence either later on Monday (May 25, 2026) or the following day. Mr. Samantaray alleged that despite being a close associate of Patnaik for years, he was prevented from meeting the BJD chief and blamed former bureaucrat-turned-politician V.K. Pandian for the party’s defeat in the 2024 elections. …

‘Remain aligned with Modi’: Why Dharmendra Pradhan ‘reached out’ to Naveen Patnaik | Political Pulse News

‘Remain aligned with Modi’: Why Dharmendra Pradhan ‘reached out’ to Naveen Patnaik | Political Pulse News

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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s recent statement urging Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to remain aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears laden with political messaging amid shifting political dynamics in Odisha. Addressing a gathering in Rairakhol in his Sambalpur parliamentary constituency over a week ago, Pradhan took a swipe at Patnaik for the BJD’s stand on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. The Bill had proposed to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha as well state Assemblies as well as provide 33% quota for women. With senior BJD leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Prasanna Acharya, present at the meeting, Pradhan appealed to him to “convince” Patnaik. “Naveen babu is a good person, but his party opposed the Bill that had provisions to increase seats in Parliament and state assemblies. We request Prasanna bhai to meet Naveen babu and convince him not to take a fluctuating stand and …

BJD criticised Centre for alleged delay in approval of Odisha Coastal Highway Project

BJD urges EC to disclose action taken on its Rajya Sabha polling complaint

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The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) again demanded “urgent and decisive” intervention by the Election Commission of India (EC) on the complaint it has raised on the Rajya Sabha polling issue, and the issuance of second ballot papers to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs Upasana Mohapatra and Purna Chandra Sethy. The election to the Upper House was held on March 16. In an email addressed to the EC, Sasmit Patra, a BJD Rajya Sabha member, reminded the Commission of his party’s March 18 complaint on the “illegal” issuance of second ballot papers to two MLAs during the poll. The regional party has objected to the issuance of second ballot papers. Published – April 28, 2026 09:31 pm IST Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

BJD expresses concern over deletion of 9.8 lakh voters’ names from list ahead of SIR in the State

BJD expresses concern over deletion of 9.8 lakh voters’ names from list ahead of SIR in the State

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The party said, “While we acknowledge that periodic revision of electoral rolls is essential to maintain the integrity and credibility of the democratic process, the present developments raise serious apprehensions about potential large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters.” File | Photo Credit: PTI The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday (April 22, 2026) staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer over the deletion of names of 9.8 lakh voters from the electoral rolls ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The party said, “While we acknowledge that periodic revision of electoral rolls is essential to maintain the integrity and credibility of the democratic process, the present developments raise serious apprehensions about potential large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters.” Published – April 22, 2026 10:03 pm IST Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

BJD MP Patra raises concerns over alleged deletion of 9.8 lakh voters in Odisha

BJD MP Patra raises concerns over alleged deletion of 9.8 lakh voters in Odisha

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Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Tuesday raised serious concerns about the possible deletion of nearly 9.8 lakh voters in Odisha. The issue is linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, reported ANI. “9.8 lakh electors deleted in pre-SIR exercise in Odisha”: BJD MP Sasmit Patra urges inquiry, transparency Read @ANI Story| https://t.co/rKNysi5A0s #SasmitPatra #Odisha #SIR pic.twitter.com/VbdlJREgIw — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 21, 2026 In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Patra urged the Election Commission to ensure that no voter is removed without proper जांच (inquiry) and transparency, reported ANI. Concerns over process and transparency Patra said that while updating electoral rolls is important, the scale and method of the current exercise are worrying. He noted, “approximately 9.8 lakh electors have been identified for potential deletion… the scale, pattern, and process raise serious concerns.” He also claimed there is early evidence suggesting possible irregularities. According to him, there is a “real risk of wrongful disenfranchisement,” meaning eligible voters could be …

BJD Bandh disrupts normal life in Odisha`s Mayurbhanj over school student death

BJD Bandh disrupts normal life in Odisha`s Mayurbhanj over school student death

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Normal life was affected in Odisha`s Mayurbhanj district on Saturday, due to opposition BJD`s 12-hour bandh over the death of a school student allegedly due to food poisoning. A girl studying in Class 5 died and more than 100 students fell ill due to alleged food poisoning, after a meal at a government-run residential school in the district, officials said. The Congress also extended support to the bandh that began at 6 am. Vehicular movement was disrupted, as BJD and Congress leaders and supporters blocked roads and burnt tyres in various parts of the district. Most shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in several places in the north Odisha district, though some offices functioned amid tight security. Adequate police personnel have been deployed in the district in view of the bandh, a senior officer said. BJD district president and former minister Sudam Marndi told reporters: “We demand a judicial probe under the supervision of a sitting high court judge to unearth the truth behind the incident. Criminal cases should be lodged against all …

BJD appoints Manas Mangaraj as Rajya Sabha leader after exit of Sasmit Patra| India News

BJD appoints Manas Mangaraj as Rajya Sabha leader after exit of Sasmit Patra| India News

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Less than a week after senior MP Sasmit Patra resigned as chairman of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha, party president Naveen Patnaik on Monday appointed Manas Mangaraj as the new leader in the Upper House. Mangaraj said he would strive to uphold the values and vision of the BJD while effectively raising the concerns of the people of Odisha in the Rajya Sabha (X/manasrmangaraj) Patnaik also named Sulata Deo as the deputy leader and chief whip of the BJD parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha. Mangaraj, 55, a former journalist and media adviser to the Odisha government, joined the BJD in 2018 and started his Rajya Sabha term in July 2022. Considered close to former bureaucrat VK Pandian, his elevation is seen by party leaders as an effort to stabilise the party’s functioning in Parliament at a time of internal strain. Sasmit Patra resigned last week after four Rajya Sabha MPs wrote to Patnaik seeking his removal from the post of parliamentary party chairman. It is not clear what grounds …