Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:24am on 09 Jun 2024,Sunday Politics
In a major political shakeup, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik's close aide, V K Pandian, has quit active politics following the party's defeat in Odisha's Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The BJP ended BJD’s 24-year rule by securing 78 seats in the 147-member assembly, while BJD won 51, Congress 14, CPI (M) one, and Independents three. The BJP also swept all 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state, with Congress taking one. Pandian, absent from public view since the defeat, did not join Patnaik during the resignation submission or the subsequent party meeting. Patnaik defended Pandian, calling criticism against him “unfortunate” and praising his “excellent job.”
