In a big move to boost its leadership, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Odisha’s Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, has announced new appointments across the party. He named senior leader and former minister Snehangini Chhuria as the new president of the Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD), the party’s women’s wing. Chhuria is a well-known face in Odisha politics, having been elected twice as an MLA from Attabira in Bargarh district and served as a minister in Patnaik’s government.
Along with this, Patnaik appointed several prominent women leaders to key roles. Sumitra Jena, Rajashree Mallick, and Lekhasri Samantsinghar are now Senior General Secretaries for women’s affairs, while leaders like Shreemayee Mishra, Barsha Singh Bariha, Sulata Deo, Sulochana Das, and Sarmistha Sethi were named General Secretaries for women’s sectors. These moves aim to strengthen the party’s presence and leadership among women in Odisha.
The party also expanded its district-level leadership, naming three more district presidents. Now, out of Odisha’s 33 organizational districts, 31 have appointed presidents. The only remaining districts are Khurda and Balasore, which are expected to get new appointees soon. This shows the party’s focus on strengthening its organizational structure across the state.
In addition, Patnaik appointed new leaders for the party’s youth and student wings. Ipsita Sahu has been named president of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), the student wing, while Chinmaya Sahu now leads Biju Yuba Janata Dal (BYJD), the youth wing. Senior leaders Debesh Acharya and Byomakesh Ray will serve as Senior General Secretaries for student and youth affairs, respectively. Several other leaders, including Soubic Biswal, Subhasis Khuntia, Rajendra Kumar Sahoo, Amaresh Patri, and Sanjit Mohanty, were also appointed to key general secretary roles within these wings.
These new appointments reflect Odisha’s ruling party’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its leadership at all levels, from grassroots to state-wide leadership. As the party prepares for upcoming political challenges, these moves are seen as an effort to build a more organized and active party structure across Odisha.
