BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has issued an unconditional apology for claiming that former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik was linked to the CIA during the 1960s. The apology comes after widespread criticism from within and outside the BJP.
BJD leader Naveen Patnaik has criticised the BJP government in Odisha for its alleged failure to address the rising number of crimes against women, speaking on International Women's Day.
Naveen Patnaik's guest list has been prepared with an eye on the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls, reports Archis Mohan.
BJD leader Naveen Patnaik has criticised the BJP government in Odisha for its alleged failure to protect women, while the Deputy Chief Minister defends the government's record and accuses Patnaik's previous administration of similar shortcomings.
Rup Narayan Das reveals the towering Odisha leader's role in improving national security after the 1962 War with China.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's private secretary V K Pandian played audio of the CM at a public meeting in Barpali in which Patnaik can be heard telling the people that he has sent the IAS officer so that they can tell their grievances to him.
BJD chief Naveen Patnaik has called for Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's intervention to restore law and order after an attack on the residence of senior BJD leader Pratap Jena. The incident has sparked a political row, with allegations of internal conflict within the BJD.
A man was beaten to death and another critically injured by a mob for allegedly sexually assaulting two women on the outskirts of the city on Thursday, following which Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi asked the police to ensure no repeat of such incidents in future.
Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was chosen as the Biju Janata Dal president for the ninth time in a row, on Saturday called upon party workers to expose the alleged false narrative of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
What may work for the BJP is the growing resentment against V K Pandian, a bureaucrat-turned-politician who Jay Panda alleges has hijacked the Odisha government.
An administrative inquiry has been ordered after a man in Odisha was allegedly forced to carry his sister's skeleton to a bank to withdraw money. The BJD has alleged further mistreatment, claiming he was made to re-bury the remains. The bank denies asking for the corpse, stating they only required a death certificate.
It is the time when 'King Kansa' virtually rules the town which transforms itself into a sprawling open air theatre.
Raghu Rai, one of India's most celebrated photographers, passed away at a private hospital in New Delhi at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, son, and three daughters.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said there were four passengers, including two women and two pilots, in the aircraft. Captain Naveen and Captain Tarun were piloting the plane, he said.
The Congress party in Odisha has moved its MLAs to Karnataka due to concerns about cross-voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the BJD has called for meetings of its legislators.
'We have restored it in full glory and it now stands as a testimony to BijuBabu's daredevilry.'
A section of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders in Odisha are expressing discontent over the party's decision to support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The issue has sparked internal turmoil, with young leaders submitting a memorandum to party president Naveen Patnaik, urging him to address the situation. Patnaik has held meetings with senior leaders, assuring them that necessary action will be taken to mitigate the fallout and maintain the party's secular image.
Odisha Police detained several Congress workers ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state on Friday.
Long queues, passengers in tears, and repeated flight cancellations created a morning of severe disruption at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Saturday, as IndiGo continued to face nationwide operational delays.
The Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday announced its support for the candidature of Bharatiya Janata Party's Ashwini Vaishnaw in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha
An eminent author, documentary filmmaker, and journalist, Gita Mehta was the elder sister of Naveen Patnaik and businessman Prem Patnaik.
Was she a lucky fan or someone closer to the cricket star? While some online users debated, a fan page of Kohli claimed she was a relative.
Pandian said his only intention to join politics was to assist Patnaik and that is why he did not contest the elections.
"It is high time India traded dynasty for meritocracy. This would require fundamental reforms, from imposing legally mandated term limits to requiring meaningful internal party elections, together with a concerted effort to educate and empower the electorate to choose leaders based on merit," Tharoor said.
Naveen Patnaik is known as an "absentee landlord" who needs bureaucrats like Pandian to run his government.
The 2000-batch IAS officer, who sparked several controversies and was accused of violating the service rule, had taken voluntary retirement from government service on October 23 this year.
'In being dismissive of Naveen, his colleagues showed incredible naivety.' 'On the few occasions that he put his foot down, the overconfident party leaders, who believed they were using him and not the other way around, failed to read the signs of what was to come.'
The 78-year-old Naveen is on the cusp of creating history. He must win the forthcoming Assembly polls to become India's longest-serving chief minister, a record held by Sikkim's Pawan Kumar Chamling.
Amid a row over change in stand over voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday asserted it is a secular regional outfit and maintains equal distance from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance bloc led by the Congress.
Cuttack remains tense following violence during a Durga idol immersion procession. Internet services are suspended, and political leaders appeal for communal harmony.
Naveenbabu turned 75 last October and there have been rumours of ill health, which he denied last Friday.
Although the BJP has never been ballistic about the BJD and Narendra Modi has avoided being critical of Naveen Patnaik, the BJP is optimistic that the party can improve its electoral fortunes in Odisha on its own, notes Rup Narayan Das.
Odisha's and Telangana's principal opposition parties, the Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi, on Monday announced that their MPs will abstain from voting in the vice presidential elections.
After winning 117 of the 147 assembly seats and 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, the BJD chief was sworn in as CM on Wednesday, becoming the first in the state to be sworn in for the fourth straight year.
A 15-year-old girl, severely burned in an attack in Odisha, has been airlifted to AIIMS Delhi for specialized treatment. The incident is under police investigation.
While BJD leaders held a marathon meeting at Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, the BJP leaders had a similar meeting in the national capital, discussing election matters, including a potential alliance.
Because he knows Odisha; and Odisha knows him, observes Aditi Phadnis.
Ruling Biju Janata Dal vice-president Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was removed from his post on Tuesday, months before the simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Odisha for allegedly writing critical editorials in his Odia daily.
Out of the 20 candidates announced by the BJD for the 21 Lok Sabha seats, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's party has nominated at least seven leaders who came from either the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Congress.
Patnaik's image of a "clean and honest" politician is widely regarded as the reason why he was able to withstand a spirited challenge thrown by the Bharatiya Janata Party, analysts say of perhaps the lone regional satrap who cannot even properly speak the language of his native state.
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