Bhubaneswar, January 21: Pratap Keshari Deb expressed his gratitude to Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik after being appointed as the Returning Officer for the party's upcoming organizational elections.
Deb, who has been appointed to this role for the third consecutive time, said, "I would like to begin by thanking BJD President Naveen Patnaik for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as the State Returning Officer once again. Given the current situation, the party elections will be held post-general elections, as we are not in government at this time."
On Monday, BJD appointed Pratap Keshari Deb, MLA, as the Returning Officer for the organizational elections. The party’s president, Naveen Patnaik, issued an official notification confirming the appointment, stating, "By Article XXIII (2) of the Biju Janata Dal Constitution, Pratap Keshari Deb, MLA, is hereby appointed as the State Returning Officer to ensure the smooth conduct of the BJD Organizational Election, effective immediately."
Deb outlined that the party elections would be carried out in four phases after the general elections. The first phase will focus on the grassroots level, followed by block, district, and state-level elections. He also mentioned that a detailed election schedule would be formulated, and officers would be appointed to oversee the election process.
Earlier this month, the BJD organized a large-scale protest in Bhubaneswar, led by Naveen Patnaik, against the Odisha BJP government’s handling of inflation. The protest, which took place at Lower PMG Square, saw BJD leaders and supporters gathering to express their opposition to the rising prices of essential commodities.
