Naveen Patnaik Holds Post-Election Review Meet with Unsuccessful Candidates

Bhubaneswar: The President of BJD and outgoing Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik convened a review session on Thursday to address the party’s disappointing performance in the recent twin elections.

The meeting, held at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar, was attended by unsuccessful BJD candidates from both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

Among those present were prominent figures like Debi Prasad Mishra, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Rohit Pujari, Pritiranjan Ghadei, Bikram Keshari Arukha, Ashok Panda, Gopabandhu Das, Koushalya Pradhan, Srikant Sahu and others.

The discussion, led by Naveen Patnaik, focused on analyzing the party’s shortcomings in the dual elections. Pranab Prakash Das, the BJD’s organization secretary, also participated in the deliberations.

In the Assembly elections, the BJD secured only 51 seats, while the BJP emerged victorious with 78 seats, and the Congress claimed 14 seats in the 147-member Assembly. This outcome marked the end of the BJD’s 24-year reign in the state under Naveen Patnaik’s leadership.

The defeated Lok Sabha candidates, including Manmath Routray and Pradip Majhi, were also in attendance. Despite their efforts, the BJD failed to secure a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP triumphed in 20 out of the total 21 constituencies, while the Congress managed to win one seat.