Biju Janata Dal

Odisha bypoll: BJP's Suryabanshi ahead of BJD's Abanti Das in Dhamnagar

BJP candidate Suryabanshi Suraj registered a lead over his BJD rival Abanti Das by 3,261 votes after the initial rounds of counting of votes for Dhamnagar bypolls in Odisha's Bhadrak district, Election Commission (EC) trends revealed on Sunday. According to the EC, Suraj secured 18,181 votes in the first four rounds of counting, while BJD candidate Abanti Das bagged 14,920. Congress nominee Baba Harekrushna Sethi got 557 votes. An election official said a three-tier security arrangement is in place for the counting exercise. A central supervisor, an assistant supervisor and a micro-observer are present along with party agents at the counting centre, the official said. The Dhamnagar seat fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi in September. At least 68.98 per cent of the seat's 2,38,417 voters had cast their votes in 252 booths of Dhamnagar on November 3. Suraj, son of the deceased MLA, said, I am fighting the election from Dhamnagar as a local who knows ab

Archana blackmailing case: BJP to gherao Odisha CM Patnaik's house today

The BJP has announced that its activists will gherao Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's residence on Monday to protest against his "silence" over the high-profile Archana Nag blackmailing case and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. The Congress also hit out at the chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio, and sought a statement from him on the alleged involvement of ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders in the case. Nag, a 26-year-old woman, was arrested by police on October 6 on the charge of blackmailing people including politicians allegedly by trapping them in a sex racket. Her husband was also arrested later. "The chief minister is silent even as several BJD leaders are involved in the scandal linked to Archana Nag. The BJP wants the CM to give a statement on the issue," BJP state general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar told reporters here. She alleged that despite being aware of everything about the case, Patnaik who is also the BJD president, remained silen

Centre's softness towards Naveen Patnaik puts Odisha BJP in difficulties

The BJD is not an NDA constituent but always bailed out the ruling alliance when there was a legislative jam over a disputatious Bill

Five Union Ministers to campaign for BJP candidate in Odisha by-election

The list submitted to the Election Commission of India by the Odisha BJP unit included names of Union Ministers - Piyush Goel, Dharmendra Pradhan, Pralhad Joshi, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Biseswar Tudu

Will continue to question Kejriwal despite 1,000 cases against me: Bagga

The BJP leader said that he was arrested recently by the Punjab Police as he asked Kejriwal about his promise to act against those who dishonoured the Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab

Odisha MLA among 5.8 lakh students appearing for Class 10 board exam

Angada Kanhar, the state's Phulbani legislator, wrote his second language paper at Rujangi High School in Pitabari village of Kandhamal district

Biju Janata Dal to field 27% OBC candidates in upcoming panchayat polls

Te ruling Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik Friday decided that his party will field candidates from OBC for 27 per cent of seats in the forthcoming three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha.

BJD criticises centre for lower allocation of Rail funds, BJP trashes claim

BJP leaders asserted that Narendra Modi has all along given priority to the state and provided sufficient money

Parliament: Congress, TDP, BJD MPs give zero hour notices in Rajya Sabha

Three Rajya Sabha MPs--one from the Congress, one from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and one from Biju Janata Dal (BJD)--have given zero hour notices in the Upper House to raise different issues

State battles no indicator of national politics

It would be wrong to assume Modi government can be defeated after BJP's performance in Jharkhand

Govt yet to provide compensation to states for farmers' losses: Opposition

Opposition MPs said the farmers were hit by unseasonal rains, floods and demanded that the Centre should give immediate monetary relief

With Patnaik at helm, Odisha cannot be ignored any more: Achyuta Samanta

Support to a candidate for a constitutional position, or to some key decisions in national interest does not imply that the BJD will tie up with the BJP at any level, says Samanta