Bhubaneswar, June 25 -- Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday put an end to speculation over the party's future leadership, declaring that he would continue to lead the party in the next elections in Odisha.
Patnaik, 79, who served as Odisha's Chief Minister for a record 24 years, made the statement amid continuing political discussions over succession within the BJD following the party's electoral setback in 2024.
The BJD lost power to the BJP in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections and also suffered a major setback in the Lok Sabha polls, failing to win a single parliamentary seat. The BJP secured 20 of Odisha's 21 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress won one.
Following the election results and amid public discussion ...