Overview

• Naveen Patnaik has been re-elected unopposed as president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the ninth consecutive term since the party's inception in 1997.
• The re-election follows the BJD's historic defeat in the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, ending its 24-year dominance in Odisha politics.
• Patnaik attributed the electoral losses to a false narrative created by the BJP and emphasized the need for a stronger social media presence to counter misinformation.
• The BJD, now out of power, faces internal challenges, with growing dissent questioning Patnaik's leadership and the party's direction.
• Patnaik underscored the importance of leveraging technology and digital platforms to communicate facts and rebuild public trust.