Naveen Patnaik files nomination for re-election to BJD's top post

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday filed nomination papers seeking his re-election as the BJD president -- the post he had been holding since the regional outfit was formed on December 26, 1997. Accompanied by senior leaders, MPs and MLAs, Patnaik arrived at the state headquarters of the Biju Janata Dal, a party he founded and named after former CM and his father Biju Patnaik, and submitted papers before returning officer P K Deb for the February 26 elections, party sources said.

This is for the eighth consecutive time Patnaik filed his papers for the BJD's top post. He is the lone leader to have filed nomination for the post, they said. Organizational elections are held in the BJD every three years, in accordance with the party's by-law.

Other party functionaries also filed nominations for the BJD's state executive committee on Sunday, a source said, adding that the results would be declared on the day of polls. BJD MP and party spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, "There were 100 required proposers for Patnaik's nomination, His name will be formally declared as the BJD president on February 26."