Bhubaneswar: Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday filed his nomination for the post of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president at Shankh Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
He is likely to be elected as the president for the ninth consecutive term without any opposition being the lone candidate for the post. The result will be officially announced on April 19 (Saturday).
“The time for filing nominations was fixed from 10 am to 1 pm today. We have received only one nomination from Naveen Patnaik and the name of the president will be announced on April 19 at Sankha Bhawan,” state returning officer for the party’s organisational elections Pratap Deb told a presser.
On April 15, the BJD announced names of 18 district presidents, who were elected unopposed, in the fourth phase of the organisational elections. The final phase includes selection of the State Council.
The elections are being conducted in six phases with an aim to strengthen the party’s internal structure amidst growing differences after the debacle in the 2024 elections and the recent Waqf Amendment Bill voting in the Rajya Sabha.