Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, on Saturday congratulated the party’s student wing, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), for its strong showing in the recently held student union elections across the state.
Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, the former chief minister claimed that BCJD candidates had secured victories in more than 60 per cent of college elections and around 50 per cent of university elections held on October 15. He alleged that the BJP-led state government had resorted to money power, muscle power and other unfair practices in an attempt to influence the outcome.
“I congratulate the young leaders of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal for having done so well in the recent elections, winning more than 60% of the elections in the colleges, and around 50% of the elections in the universities in spite of the BJP State Govt using money power, muscle power and all unfair practices. I do congratulate all the young people of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal,” Naveen said.
The elections marked the return of student union polls in Odisha after a gap of eight years.
According to available reports, the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured the president’s posts in eight of the 13 state universities and a significant number of colleges, while BCJD won in five universities. The Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) failed to secure any university president’s post.
Naveen’s comments came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah described ABVP’s performance as “a stern response to anti-national forces,” asserting that the results reaffirmed the youth’s preference for a “nation first” ideology.
Taking exception to these remarks, Odisha Higher Education minister Suryabanshi Suraj issued a scathing critique via social media, stating that the former CM’s comments reflected an attempt to mask political insecurity. The minister pointed out that student union polls had remained suspended for eight years under the previous regime, a tenure that the state’s youth and student community widely view as a “blemished chapter” in Odisha’s academic history.
Highlighting the positive message sent by the resumption of the polls, the minister emphasised that the youth and students of Odisha are well aware of the ground realities, including which student leaders won with the support of various parties and organisations.
Criticizing the former chief minister, the minister remarked that repeatedly attempting to turn lies into truth does not befit a leader of his stature, suggesting that Naveen should have instead inspired the student community to build a bright future.
The minister concluded by stressing that the collective goal should be to keep Odisha’s youth away from confusion and motivate them toward nation-building.
In a statement, the BJD earlier stated that students across Odisha had extended strong support to BCJD. Spokesperson Lenin Mohanty claimed the results demonstrated the affection of Generation Z towards Naveen and the transformative changes brought to the education sector during his tenure. BCJD president Ipsita Sahoo alleged that the BJP government misused official machinery to influence the polls, yet failed to win over students. She pointed to major BCJD victories in Balangir and Puri districts, represented by Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida respectively, and challenged the ruling party to release actual figures instead of claiming ABVP wins in 80 per cent of colleges.