Bhubaneswar: Former minister Dibyashankar Mishra on Thursday clarified his stance amid speculation about the BJD’s future leadership sparked by his earlier remarks. He firmly reaffirmed that Naveen Patnaik was the unchallenged and supreme leader of the party, enjoying unwavering support of the public.
Addressing a presser, he emphasised that his remarks were misconstrued by certain media outlets.
The controversy stemmed from Mishra’s statements during a football tournament in Balangir earlier this month, where he praised Balangir MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo as a national-level rifle shooter, president of the National Rifle Association, former MP, and current young MLA. Mishra had highlighted his sportsmanship and suggested he could serve as a role model for the youth, noting his grandfather’s legacy as a former Chief Minister. Some reports interpreted these comments as an endorsement for Kalikesh to assume state-level leadership within the BJD, sparking debates about potential succession amid the party’s recent electoral setbacks.
The former minister said that he was speaking broadly about youth leadership and had cited Kalikesh purely as an example. “As an MLA, I attend many events as a guest. At the Balangir tournament, I praised Kalikesh Singh Deo on stage and in media bytes solely as an example of youth leadership. He has the capability to inspire the next generation at the state level, but my comments were not linked to any party leadership change,” he asserted.
He accused sections of the media of “cut-and-paste” editing to misrepresent his speech, urging them to refrain from such practices.
Reaffirming his commitment to the BJD, Mishra said: “We all know our leader is only one — the honourable Naveen Patnaik. All BJD MLAs and MPs continue to work under his guidance.” He expressed confidence that the party would regain power in the 2029 elections, citing public blessings and growing dissatisfaction with the current BJP government over issues such as paddy procurement, women’s empowerment, and youth employment.
