In blow to BJD, key face crosses over to BJP as Patnaik hits campaign trail

“I am inspired by the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the country forward and to work for the development of all sections of society. I have seen his vision during my tenure in the Rajya Sabha. I have decided to join the BJP to contribute to nation-building,” said Amar Patnaik after joining the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and state party chief Manmohan Samal.

A former Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officer who had served as Principal Accountant General in Odisha, Sikkim, West Bengal and Kerala, Amar, 58, had opted for voluntary retirement nine years before his superannuation in 2018 to join the BJD.

Known for his data-driven political strategy, Amar was made in charge of the party’s information technology (IT) cell and was tasked with overseeing survey details for various constituencies during the simultaneous 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state. He was among the handful of BJD leaders known to have access to Naveen Patnaik’s inner circles.

Months after the BJD’s 2019 election victory, Amar was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, where he served until April last year. As a BJD national spokesperson, he was vocal on several issues and had often criticised the BJP.

Following the BJD’s defeat in the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the former bureaucrat led the party’s charge over alleged “discrepancies in election data” and headed a delegation to the Election Commission (EC) seeking clarifications.

Amar had earlier claimed that the BJD submitted a petition backed by around 200 pages of “solid data” to the poll panel highlighting these discrepancies. The party had raised three major concerns before the EC — the difference between the total votes polled at the booth level and those counted from corresponding EVMs; the mismatch between votes cast for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held simultaneously; and the “huge difference” between the voter turnout revealed by the EC on polling day and the final figures declared two days later.

“Unlike other Opposition parties, the BJD had flagged these discrepancies with solid data and six months of research. Amar Patnaik played a crucial role in identifying these issues,” said a senior BJD leader.

The leader said he was “not sure” what prompted Amar to join the BJP despite having enjoyed importance within the BJD’s top echelons. While he had no specific support base and had never contested a direct election, BJP sources said he would be a “valuable asset” in preparing a long-term strategy for the party.

Welcoming him to the BJP fold and terming his induction a “huge setback to the BJD”, Majhi said Amar’s “vast experience and knowledge” across sectors would greatly help the state government in its development efforts.