Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik to expand his cabinet today

Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited ministerial expansion in Odisha is slated to take place on Thursday afternoon ending about two-month long speculation. "Ministry expansion will take place today. New Ministers will be sworn in this afternoon at Raj Bhavan," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters in Bhubaneswar. Patnaik, however, gave no idea as to how many new ministers would be inducted into his council of ministers. The chief minister was believed to...  

Naveen Patnaik congratulates Pranab

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik congratulated Pranab Mukherjee for his victory in the presidential election. "We (BJD) were the first to name an adivasi leader for the highest post of the country. Pranab Mukherjee has won the election. So I congratulate him," Patnaik told reporters here. BJD was the first to lend its support tribal leader PA Sangma, for the country's highest post, he said, adding...  

Naveen Patnaik accuses Pranab of buying support

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has accused United Progressive Alliance(UPA) presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee of buying support of parties by doling out large sums of money to selective states during his tenure as finance minister. "Pranab Mukherjee as finance minister of India had doled out huge sum of money... lakhs of crores... to certain states like Bihar, Bengal and UP," Patnaik, chief of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), told...  

Naveen Patnaik leaves for Delhi to back PA Sangma

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik left for New Delhi from Bhubaneswar on Wednesday to be present while former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma filed his nomination for the presidential election on Thursday, an official said. Patnaik, who is also the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, was the first to announce Sangma's name for the president's post. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders...  

Conscience of the country will help me win: Sangma

Former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma is confident of winning the Presidential election despite UPA's Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee emerging stronger with more support. Sangma, however, feels he will win with the help of conscience votes. Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Sangma said he had never lost any election so far and would win this one too. Following is the full transcript of Rajdeep Sardesai's interview with Purno Agitok...  

Pipili rape victim dies at hospital in Cuttack

Bhubaneswar: The 19-year-old Dalit rape victim of Pipili died on Thursday after remaining in coma for more than six months with her father demanding capital punishment for the culprits. She died of septicaemia, severe respiratory and cardiological complications, Dr BN Maharana, emergency officer of Cuttack's SCB Medical College Hospital, told reporters. The girl, who was raped and an attempt made to strangulate her on November 28 last year, was admitted...  

Political parties should back Sangma: Jayalalithaa

Chennai: With former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma determined to go ahead in the Presidential race, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday said other political parties should come forward to back his candidature. Various leaders had been in touch with her, some of whom had tried to enlist her support for former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who has decided to opt out, she said. "I welcome other parties...  

BJD sticks to Sangma as Presidential candidate

Bhubaneswar: With NCP leader PA Sangma refusing to pull out of the Presidential race, the ruling BJD in Odisha, which was the first to moot his name for the top post, on Sunday stuck to its support for the former Lok Sabha Speaker. "Having proposed Sangma's name as the Presidential candidate, the BJD is whole-heartedly supporting the prominent tribal leader," senior MP and BJD Parliamentary Party leader Arjun Charan Sethi...  

President poll: BJD sticks to its support for Sangma

Bhubaneswar: With PA Sangma insisting on contesting the Presidential poll, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, which was the first to moot his name, on Saturday said there was no change in its decision to back him. "As of now there is no change in our decision on the Presidential poll. BJD sticks to its support for Sangma, a prominent tribal leader. We are determined to back Sangma,"...  

Never sought any alliance with BJD: Congress

Bhubaneswar: Congress on June 15 ridiculed Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's statement that BJD would not ally with Congress and said it was completely out of place and uncalled for. "Congress has never sought an alliance with BJD in the past nor it will it desire to do so in future. Therefore, Patnaik's statement is nothing but due to fractions in his own party which has disturbed his mental balance....  

PA Sangma still our presidential candidate: BJD

In all the names doing the rounds for the post of President, PA Sangma's name seems to have been pushed further back. However, Naveen Patnaik's BJD still insists he is their favourite. ...

We support Sangma as Presidential candidate: BJD

Bhubaneswar: In the midst of the Presidential race hotting up following Trinamool Congress-SP move to counter Congress, BJD on Thursday said it stuck to its support for former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma as the candidate for the top post. "We have been supporting Sangma's candidature after his name was announced by the Chief Minister," BJD Lok Sabha MP Bhartuhari Mahtab told reporters adding that as of now "there was...  

I'm very much in the presidential race: Sangma

Shillong: Former Lok Sabha speaker and Nationalist Congress Party leader PA Sangma on Thursday said he was very much in the race for the president's post. "I'm still very much in the race as my name was supported by two powerful leaders of the country," Sangma told IANS on the phone. Sangma's candidature has been supported by AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Biju Janata Dal...  

Naveen to support Ramdev's campaign, if peaceful

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday extended support to yoga guru Ramdev's campaign against black money, but said the movement should be pursued in Gandhian style. "We will support your movement over black money and against corruption, if goes on peacefully in Gandhian style," Patnaik told Ramdev in presence of media after an hour-long discussion between the two. The yoga guru, who praised Patnaik for taking several steps...  

Ramdev in Odisha to enlist Naveen's support

Bhubaneswar: A day after enlisting support of Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for his campaign against black money, yoga guru Ramdev arrived in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday in an effort to get the backing of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue. "I am here to meet Naveen Patnaik and discuss the issue of corruption. I hope he will extend support to our campaign on the issue of...  

Whom is Ramdev friending in political networks?

New Delhi: Anti-graft activist and self-styled spiritual leader Ramdev is on a mission to build support for his campaign to bring back billions of rupees stashed in overseas tax havens by wealthy Indians. Ramdev has met political leaders cutting across party lines and many of them have shown interest, including BJP president Nitin Gadkari who even bent down to touch the feet of the yoga teacher when he called on...  

Team Ramdev: Who are the political supporters?

New Delhi: Anti-graft activist and self-styled spiritual leader Ramdev is on a mission to build support for his campaign to bring back billions of rupees stashed in overseas tax havens by wealthy Indians. Ramdev has met political leaders cutting across party lines and many of them have shown interest, including BJP president Nitin Gadkari who even bent down to touch the feet of the yoga teacher when he called on...  

BJD split wide open, Mohapatra attacks Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: After a failed rebellion attempt by BJD MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra against the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha - leading to his suspension from the party - the Naveen-Pyari war is now leading to the illegal money generated from the mining scam in the state. A whopping sum of Rs 200 crore was generated to fund Mohapatra's rebellion against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Tribal MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak who...  

Naveen called minister a 'bloody fellow': Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar: Suspended BJD leader and MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra on Monday alleged that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had threatened Sarada Prasad Nayak before sacking him from the council of ministers. "Patnaik had called Nayak over phone and addressed him as bloody fellow and also threatened to destroy him," Mohapatra said. Mohapatra said this while reacting to the chief minister's action of dismissing Nayak from the council of ministers this...  

'Naveen is shielding politicians in mining scam'

Bhubaneswar: Suspended rebel Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra on Monday accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of shielding politicians involved in the mining scam though he (Naveen) was not personally involved in any scam. "The Chief Minister did not allow state vigilance to begin persecution against certain politicians allegedly involved in mining scam. I had requested the chief minister several times to allow the vigilance...