Following a significant loss in the 2024 Odisha Assembly Elections, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has restructured its leadership by appointing five new national spokespersons. Announced by BJD president Naveen Patnaik, the new spokespersons are Santrupt Mishra, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Amar Patnaik, Sasmit Patra, and Pradeep Kumar Majhi.
Santrupt Mishra will also serve as the political secretary to the party president, while Sukant Kumar Panda has been appointed as the PRO to Naveen Patnaik.
The BJD, which had a stronghold in Odisha for years, saw a decline, securing only 51 seats compared to the BJP’s 78 seats. This shift is attributed to anti-incumbency factors and the controversial influence of VK Pandian, a close aide to Patnaik, which reportedly did not sit well with many voters.
The party has further announced 14 new state spokespersons, with Pratap Jena taking on the role of state media coordinator and Swayam Prakash Mohapatra as social media coordinator
