By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: Manmohan Samal, who began his political career as Students Union President of Bhadrak Autonomous College in 1978-79, was on Tuesday elected as the Odisha State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for record 4th times breaking previous record of Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who held the post for 3 times earlier.
Samal became the 15th President of Odisha BJP . BJP sources said, Former Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan was BJP Odisha’s first president while late Union Minister Dr Debendra Pradhan was second and 4th President, held twice the post
Bimbadhar Kuanr was 3rd president, Jual Oram was 5th, 8th and 10th President of Odisha BJP while State Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari was 9th President, Deputy CM KV Singh Deo was 11th President, former MP Basant Panda was 12th President, Samir Mohanty was 13th President while Manmohan Samal earlier elected as 6th, 7th, 14th, and now elected as 15th, and became longest serving Odisha BJP Chief.
This marks Samal’s fourth stint as state BJP chief. He earlier served as the party’s Odisha president between 1999–2000 and again from 2001–2004. He returned to the role in March 2023, just ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Samal’s political journey includes a tenure as Rajya Sabha MP from 2000 to 2004 and election to the Odisha Assembly from Dhamnagar in 2004. He also held key ministerial portfolios in the Odisha government, including Revenue and Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, between 2004 and 2008.
A felicitation ceremony held at State Party headquarters here, where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CM Pravati Parida, National Vice President and Kendrapara MP Baijayant Jay Panda, MP Dr Sambit Patra, Pratap Sarangi, Central election observer MP Sanjay Jaiswal, Vijaypal Singh Tomar, Lata Usendi, former President Basant Panda, Samir Mohanty, State general secretary Dr Jatin Mohanty and others leaders attended and spoke on Samal’s contribution in shaping BJP’s strength in Odisha.
