BJP State chief poll likely to be postponed

Expressbuzz, Dec 8, 2009
BHUBANESWAR: Even as 24 out of 37 organisational districts of BJP have elected district presidents, election of the party’s State unit president is likely to be delayed as many leaders are busy in Jharkhand election.


The tentative date for election of the State unit president was fixed for December 11. Two-thirds of organisational districts of the party having completed the election process, the State unit now qualifies to elect its president.

The central election committee of the party will fix a date for the election and will appoint observers to monitor process, State election officer of the party Nayan Kishore Mohanty said.

Election of the State BJP president will not be possible on December 11 as many leaders of the party including party’s national vice-president and former Union minister Jual Oram, national secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, and State general secretary Rajkishore Das are busy campaigning for party candidates in the Jharkhand Assembly election.

Election to the remaining 13 organisational districts is on and a majority of them will be eligible to participate in the election process, Mohanty said.

The elected district presidents are Nayan Ranjan Prasad (Cuttack city), Hrusikesh Jena (Cuttack Sadar), former minister Himansu Sehar Meher (Kalahandi), former minister Draupadi Murmu (Mayurbhanj west), Nihar Modi (Mayurbhanj east), Dharmu Ganda (Nabarangpur), Deba Narayan Pradhan (Phulbani) and Sarat Mishra (Puri).

Lambodhar Nayak (Balasore), Bijay Kumar Swain (Berhampur), Bhagaban Panda (Bhanjanagar), Amiya Das (Bhubaneswar), Prabhas Kumar Panigrahi (Balangir), Umacharan Pradhan (Chhatrapur), Sidheswar Mishra (Gajapati), Upendra Biswal (Jagatsingpur), Gyanadev Beura (Kendrapara), Aditya Madhi (Malkangiri), Prasanna Dash (Nayagarh), Atindrajit Singh Mallik (Nuapada), Kalicharan Majhi (Rayagada) and Suresh Mahala (Sonepur).

They will elect the State unit president for a three-year term. The term of the incumbent president Suresh Pujari will expire shortly.