Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik addresses a protest. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Former Odisha chief minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik urged the Odisha CM to convene a special session of the Assembly and bring a unanimous resolution seeking the repeal of the MMDR Amendment. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Begusarai:

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said that Bharat Ratna should be conferred upon Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.

“Nitish Kumar has worked for the development of the state. Naveen Patnaik has also served Odisha for years. Such people should be honoured with awards like Bharat Ratna,” Giriraj Singh told reporters.

He further said that the NDA government will be formed under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

“NDA government will be formed again in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has been the Chief Minister for so many years. Today’s children who have turned thirty have not seen Lalu ji’s jungle raj,” he added.

On Tuesday, Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly election under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“In the 2025 Bihar Assembly election, the NDA will contest under the leadership of Nitish Kumar,” Ranjan Singh told ANI.

The ruling NDA did well in the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar. Apart from BJP, NDA in Bihar includes JD-U, LJP (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).

Nitish Kumar toppled the Mahagathbandhan government a few months before the 2024 Lok Sabha election and again formed a government with the BJP.

BJP is senior partner in the NDA in the state. While BJP has 84 MLAs, JD(U) has 48 in the State Assembly.

Notably, the Assembly elections for 243 assembly seats in Bihar are likely to be held at the end of 2025.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Responding to allegations that Odisha government officials took bribes for a power purchase agreement in 2021, when it was in power in the state, the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal has said the deal was between two government entities and no private parties, including the Adani Group, were involved.

A similar statement has also been made by the DMK, which is in power in Tamil Nadu.

“This power purchase agreement made in 2021 was between two government agencies – a central government public sector undertaking (PSU) which is a mini navratna of the Government of India Solar Energy Corporation of India (under the Union Ministry of Renewable Energy) and a state govt PSU Gridco – solely for the purpose of supply of renewable energy. This is part of a central government scheme called the manufacturing linked solar scheme,” Pratap Keshari Deb, Odisha’s former energy minister and the deputy chief whip of the BJD in the state Assembly, said in a statement.

Mr Deb said that the agreement was to procure 500 MW of renewable energy from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) at the lowest rates discovered by the PSU. “There was no engagement with any private party whatsoever, including the Adani Group,” he said.

Highlighting that the state has been procuring renewable energy from central government PSUs like SECI and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) since 2011, the party said that the allegations were “baseless and incorrect”.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji said the state has an understanding to buy power only from a firm owned by the Union government.

“I would like to first clarify that as regards TN Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), there has been no kind of commercial relationship with Mr Adani’s company during the past three years (after the DMK formed the government in May 2021),” Mr Balaji said.

The minister said Tamil Nadu inked a pact for procurement of 1,500MW with SECI, adding “there is no direct contact with Mr Adani’s firm”.

The Adani Group has firmly denied a US government department report alleging bribery for power contracts.

“All possible legal recourse will be sought. The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws,” the Group said in a statement.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

Bhubaneswar:

A day after demanding a court-monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into the alleged sexual assault of a woman in custody, Opposition BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said “women are not safe even inside police stations.” Mr Patnaik made these remarks while addressing party leaders from Kendrapara and Gajapati districts at the BJD’s state headquarters, Sankha Bhavan.

He expressed concern, saying, “It’s sad that women are not safe even inside police stations in Bhubaneswar and government servants are beaten up in Raj Bhavan. It seems there’s no law and order in the state.”

This comment was in reference to the September 15 incident involving the alleged torture of an army officer and the sexual harassment of his fiancée at Bharatpur police station and the physical assault on an on-duty government employee allegedly by the governor’s son earlier.

Mr Patnaik, the Leader of the Opposition in Odisha Assembly, also addressed the BJD Scheduled Caste Cell, urging party leaders to raise awareness about the “false” poll promises made by the BJP concerning the Subhadra Yojana, pension and allowances, and free electricity.

The BJD has consistently claimed that the BJP has failed to fulfill its promises to the electorate. Despite pledging to provide Rs 50,000 to all women in the state within two years, the BJP later denied many women this opportunity, the party claimed. It said that women aged 21 to 60 were selected as beneficiaries of the Subhadra Yojana.

Mr Patnaik instructed party leaders to inform the public about the BJP’s “lies” regarding promises of 300 units of free electricity and a Rs 3,500 old-age pension, emphasising the need to highlight these issues among people.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

With the Odisha Assembly continuing to witness ruckus for the second day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Tuesday sought the arrest of BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik for alleged indiscipline during Governor address Raghubar Das’ address in the House on Monday.

Mr Mahaling accused the LoP of breaching the rules of the House, saying he needs to be arrested for the alleged indiscipline.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJD said the statement made by Mr Mahaling shows BJP’s lack of experience in running the government.

Speaking to mediapersons, BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said, “What he referred to shows his lack of experience. I have never seen anyone being arrested in the history of Vidhan Sabha proceedings.”

Meanwhile, Speaker Surama Padhy on Tuesday adjourned the House till 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday after the opposition continued to create a ruckus over the alleged assault on an assistant section officer by the son of Governor Das.

The opposition BJD and the Congress MLAs reached the Well of the House and engaged in sloganeering demanding action against the Governor’s son after the House proceedings resumed at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Odisha LoP Naveen Patnaik.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Biju Janata Dal has lashed out at the Narendra Modi government accusing that Odisha’s demand for special category State status has been overlooked in the Union Budget while crores of funds have been allocated for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

Reacting to the Budget, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “BJP had put special category status in their manifesto as a promise to the people of Odisha. However, this promise has not been considered for Odisha, whereas special packages, allocating crores of funds have been announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.”

“Along with this, the demand of Odisha for revision of coal royalty, which has been pending for years with the central government, has been rejected, because of which the State will lose thousands of crores of revenue every year,” Mr. Patnaik charged, terming the Budget disappointing.

In sync with the party’s stand, all the BJD MPs in Rajya Sabha walked out of House when the Union Budget was being laid.

“Before Walking out, the BJD MPs strongly said in the House that they were walking out due to the denial of Special Category State status to Odisha. While Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar had been asking for the special category, the two states got Special additional funds while Odisha’s demand was not considered,” said BJD MP and party spokesperson Sasmit Patra.

He sarcastically said probably this was the punishment meted out to Odisha for electing 20 Lok Sabha BJP MPs out of 21 MPs from Odisha.

“Lots of big promises in different sectors were made to the people of Odisha during the election campaign especially on agriculture , MSME and industry. There is no mention of any promise being fulfilled in this Budget. This is a complete neglect of Odisha and her people,” the BJD supremo maintained.

Mr. Patnaik further said, “We all know that Odisha faces a number of natural disasters every year, including floods. We had requested for a special package for disaster management. While similar requests of other States have been considered and they have been granted special packages for flood protection, the genuine demand of Odisha on disaster management has not been considered.”

The former CM pointed out, “we have been fighting for Justice in the Polavaram issue. Allocating more and more funds for Polavaram without sorting out the genuine grievances of Odisha shows impartiality against Odisha.”

On the expected line, the State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the budget saying it was progressive and aimed at achieving goal of Vikshit Bharat.

Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo said, “When a 24-year-old government did not take any step to improve the tourism sector, the Central government’s specific announcement for Odisha’s tourism development should be welcomed. It will generate employment.”

“Whatever special assistance is required for Odisha has been granted through different infrastructure projects and national programmes. Odisha has got more than its due share,” Mr. Singh Deo said. The State government would take up the issue of submergence of localities in its Malkangiri district due to Polavaram project of Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is now the state’s Leader of Opposition, has drawn up a shadow cabinet to scrutinise and take on the ruling BJP and its Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. The move comes ahead of the budget session of the state assembly, which is set to begin from next Monday.

The 50-member UK-style shadow cabinet reflects the early experiences of Mr Patnaik who spent a large part of his pre-politics life in the UK.

The members of the shadow cabinet are mostly former ministers of his government, who are expected to keep tabs on each minister and his department and prepare alternative plans and policies in areas the government could slip up.

“The Opposition party is the custodian of people’s interests. The Opposition party has a significant role to play in the state Assembly.

The MLAs will keep close watch on the activities of departments assigned to them and actively take part during discussion of those departments in the state Assembly. They will work to protect the interests of the people,” a statement issued by the BJD on Wednesday quoted Mr Patnaik as saying.

The former Chief Minister’s move not only underscores the active role he plans to play from the Opposition benches, it also brushes off the notion that many had — that the Biju Janata Dal will now be politically irrelevant.

The BJD found itself out of power in the recently concluded election after 24 years. The BJP unseated the government of Naveen Patnaik winning 78 of the 147 assembly seats. The BJD won 51 seats.

Days later, as Mr Patnaik was elected the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, the BJD signalled that it means business.

The party, which was the BJP’s friend in Rajya Sabha, said its MPs would not be confined to speaking on issues only, but would hold agitation if the BJP-led government at the Centre “ignores Odisha’s interest”.

The party has already ranged itself alongside the Opposition on the NEET issue and even held walkouts in parliament.