Manmohan set for fourth term as Odisha BJP president

BHUBANESWAR: Ending all speculations over a new face leading BJP’s Odisha unit, the party leadership seems to have reposed faith on the competence of incumbent president Manmohan Samal for the top organisational job. Samal was the only candidate to file nomination for the post on Monday and is set to be appointed for a fourth term.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi being present with Samal during his nomination filing made it amply clear that he was firmly behind him. The formal announcement of Samal’s election as the state BJP chief will be done by party’s election observer for the state Sanjay Jaiswal on Tuesday.Samal has been heading the state unit since March 23, 2023 and led the party to a massive victory in the 2024 Assembly polls while sweeping the Lok Sabha seats from Odisha.

Earlier, he was elected twice to the post in 1999 and 2001. On his imminent election as state party president, Samal said, “I have always worked as an ordinary worker of the BJP. The party’s decision is a recognition of collective efforts, not individual achievement.”

Speaking to mediapersons, Jaiswal said, “I have been assigned the task of an observer for this organisational election by the party’s national president JP Nadda.