BJD will remain voice of people of Odisha for next 100 years: Naveen Patnaik

Sources close to Patnaik’s inner circle said his remarks were not just meant for rivals but also for a section of leaders within the party who question the leadership crisis citing Patnaik’s advanced age and health.

Patnaik’s statement also assumes significance as the regional party continues to lose leaders, with even its crucial grassroots cadre shifting allegiance to the BJP, triggering allegations of “Operation Lotus” in the state.

Though Patnaik, 79, has kept the succession plan close to his chest, party insiders said the BJD president must have a plan in mind and will reveal it at an appropriate time. “In politics, patience is important,” said the former chief minister.

Even as there has been a clear division among leaders within the BJD over the induction of former IAS officer Sujata Karthikeyan, wife of Patnaik’s former close aide VK Pandian, Patnaik chose to remain silent on the issue.

While the BJD women’s wing and several party leaders, including MLAs, back Sujata’s entry into the BJD, a section of veteran leaders has resisted the move, saying it may backfire for the party.

At the party’s foundation day programme in Cuttack Friday, senior BJD leader Prabhat Biswal lauded the Pandian couple for their dedication and even said that Sujata should be nominated to the Rajya Sabha when elections are held in April–May. Earlier, women’s wing leaders had remarked that Sujata’s entry would be beneficial for the party.

Biswal’s statement came a day after senior leader Bhupinder Singh said the party may split if discussions over ‘new leadership’ gather momentum, referring to Sujata’s entry into the BJD.

Sujata, a 2000-batch IAS officer, took voluntary retirement from service in March 2025.

In his address, Patnaik called the youth of the party the most important assets of the BJD and urged them to be more active on social media and counter misinformation. He said he has full faith in the hard work and commitment of party workers.

“Together we will transform today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities and continue our effort for an empowered Odisha,” he added.

Citing the BJD’s 24-year rule from 2000 to 2024 as the ‘golden period’ for Odisha in terms of overall development, Patnaik took on the current BJP dispensation over lack of development.

“Where is the development in the double-engine government in Odisha? Farmers struggle to get fertiliser and to sell their produce, self-help group members are facing hardship, while youths are distressed,” said Patnaik.

Patnaik said that in the last 18 months of the double-engine sarkar, eighteen question papers have been leaked and law and order has deteriorated, with an increase in crimes against women, adding that even minor girls are not safe. “It seems there is no government in Odisha,” he added.