Three months after taking charge as Odisha BJP president, Manmohan Samal has announced a revamped state-level leadership team comprising 26 leaders, including 10 vice presidents, 4 general secretaries, and 10 secretaries. Notably, the team excludes all sitting MPs and MLAs, in line with the party’s “one man, one post” policy, a guideline that has sparked considerable debate.
New Vice Presidents Represent Key Districts
The newly appointed vice presidents represent various organisational districts across Odisha:
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Yatindra Mahanti (Khordha)
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Ashok Mishra (Nayagarh)
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Kusum Tete (Sundargarh)
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Ramesh Chandra Sahu (Nabarangpur)
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K. Narayan Rao (Gajapati)
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Shivaji Mahanti (Balangir)
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Bhabendra Kumar Panda (Kalahandi)
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Sipra Bajpayee (Balasore)
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Sudarshan Goel (Rourkela)
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Bishnu Das (Kendrapara)
General Secretaries and Secretaries Strengthen the Team
Biranchi Narayan Tripathy, a former vice president, has been appointed as general secretary, joining Sarada Prasad Shatapathy, Simanchal Khatei, and newcomer Purnima Priyadarshini. The 10 secretaries have been selected from the party’s existing leadership ranks, ensuring a balanced representation.
Ex-Leaders Left Out, Rumoured Future Roles
Interestingly, ex-vice presidents Golak Mahapatra, Nauri Nayak, and Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mahapatra have not been assigned any responsibilities in this reshuffle. Rumours suggest that these leaders could be appointed to positions in corporations, boards, or district planning bodies in the near future.
Strengthening Grassroots Presence
By forming this carefully curated leadership team, Samal aims to consolidate the party’s organisational structure in Odisha. Political insiders indicate that the next wave of appointments will focus on youth, women, OBC, and other morchas, which will be crucial in enhancing the BJP’s grassroots influence across the state.