Odisha: BJD revamps media panel

BHUBANESWAR: The ruling BJD on Wednesday revamped its media panel by roping in more tech-savvy leaders to counter opposition allegations and to defend party’s stand in various national and regional media.


The party has issued a list of five national spokespersons, 15 spokespersons and 10 panelists as part of the revamp exercise.

Four senior MPs-- Pinaki Mishra, Anubhav Mohanty, Sasmit Patra, Amar Patnaik--and a retired bureaucrat—Satyanarayan Sahu-- are made the national spokespersons.

While Pinaki, the

Lok Sabha

member from Puri, is a Supreme Court lawyer, Mohanty, who won from Kendrapada parliamentary segment, is a cine star turned politician.

Rajya Sabha

members-- Patra is a management academician and Patnaik had served as principal accountant general in many states before joined politics.

Patra, who was the go-to man for all national and regional media during the elections, has also been given the responsibility of media coordinator of the party.

Sahu, who joined BJD ahead of the recent general elections, had previously worked as joint secretary in Lok Sabha.

“Grateful to the party and leader Shri Naveen Patnaik for having given me the shared responsibility of National Spokesperson. Will stick to our party’s cherished track record of sober deliberation and discussion at all times,” tweeted Pinaki.

Senior leader Pratap Deb, who has strongly defended the party and state government, in the previous stint has been continued as spokesperson.

Other senior leaders like Debi Prasad Mishra, Prashant Nanda, Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Byomokesh Ray and Subash Singh have also been appointed as other spokespersons. Subash Chauhan, who left BJP to join the ruling party ahead of polls, has also been appointed as spokesperson.

Women leaders like Sulata Deo, Lopamudra Baxipatra and Shreemayee Mishra are other spokespersons.

Those appointed as panelists include former head of city municipal corporation Mihir Mohanty, Santosh Lenka, Sanjay Baboo and Biswajit Mohanty. The panelists would represent party in various regional channels.