Naveen Patnaik spares VK Pandian, links loss to BJP's 'bundle of lies'

BHUBANESWAR: Six months after BJD's electoral loss, party chief Naveen Patnaik attributed it Thursday to failure to effectively counter BJP's "false narratives & bundle of lies". This is the first time Naveen has publicly explained the reason for the defeat that snapped his 24-year stint as Odisha CM, contradicting speculation about close aide VK Pandian's influence being a key factor.

"Many people were asking questions about how BJD lost in the last elections. We did not lose the trust of people. BJP came to power by telling lies, making false promises and misleading people," Naveen said in a video message on BJD's 28th foundation day.

State BJP president Manmohan Samal hit back, saying BJD and Naveen "were still in shock over the defeat" over the defeat. Although Naveen had publicly acknowledged the electoral mandate earlier and announced a committee to determine the causes behind the unprecedented loss, his fresh statements appeared to shift the focus away from Pandian, an ex-IAS officer widely seen as a successor.

"Our mistake was that we could not counter BJP's lies, negative campaigns and false narratives effectively," Naveen said, urging BJD workers to counter BJP's "false and deceptive" narratives.


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