BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJP leader and vice-president Samir Mohanty was elected unopposed as the new president of the party’s State unit here on Thursday. Announcing the name of Mohanty, Central observer for the election, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the former was single nominee for the post and the unanimous choice of the State party leaders.
Describing Mohanty as an old worker of the party, Tomar said the former has proved his mettle in organisational matters and whatever responsibilities given to him by the party.“There are many challenges before the BJP in the State. I am confident that the party under the leadership of Mohanty will accept all challenges and emerge victorious,” Tomar said.
Wishing him all success, the Union Minister said Mohanty has the capacity to carry the workers and leaders along with him and complete the unfinished agenda of the party. Tomar said the new president will take over charge from incumbent president Basanata Panda, MP at 10 am on Friday after he is handed over a certificate (on his election as president) by the party’s State returning officer.
The 61-year-old Mohanty was the only candidate to file nomination for the post of president. Support to him from the district presidents and the State party council members was unanimous.
On their arrival in the State Capital on Wednesday, Tomar, BJP national joint general secretary (organisation) Soudan Singh and national general secretary in charge of Odisha Arun Singh held discussion with the State functionaries.
Tomar held one-to-one discussion with Mohanty, Prithviraj Harichandan and KV Singhdeo in a city hotel on Thursday before the filing of nomination.
Though former State BJP presidents Singhdeo, Jual Oram, Suresh Pujari and Manmohan Samal and State general secretary Harichandan were the top contenders for the post, Mohanty emerged consensus candidate, sources in the party said.
There was a strong lobby from western Odisha leaders of the party for giving the top organisational post to one from the region which had given maximum success to the party in the 2019 simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha. But, finding majority support for Mohanty from coastal Odisha, the Central observers settled for him.
A leader of the coastal Odisha has been chosen for the top post after a gap of 14 years. Manmohan Samal was the last man from coastal region to have held this position.
Active in student politics as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Mohanty resigned from service of a semi-government organisation in 1995 to devote full time to politics. He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election from Ekamra-Bhubaneswar seat in 2009.