Three-time Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das has been appointed as the Organisational Secretary of the Biju Janata Dal by BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. On the occasion of the 104th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, Naveen Patnaik made this primary political appointment post his selection as president of the party for the eighth consecutive term.
Last year, in the month of November, the party had appointed Das as the General Secretary (Organisation) while senior leader Sanjay Das Burma was appointed as General Secretary (Head Quarter). Sources within BJD had claimed that these posts were formed for the first time to exclusively deal with the organizational affairs.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, announcing Das’s promotion, said, “he has worked very hard in the 2014 and 2019 elections besides the by-elections in the state during the period. He will oversee the overall work of the organisation.”
Though Das isn’t holding a ministry in Patnaik’s fifth term, he is given greater organisational responsibilities via the post of Organisational Secretary (OS). As the OS, Das will be in-charge of organisational affairs of the ruling party in the state. This makes Das the unofficial second-in-command of BJD after Patnaik.
Das has played a major part in fighting BJDs’ anti-incumbency and winning several seats for the party. Further, he is credited to have managed intra and inter party conflicts of several leaders, strengthening the stance of the BJD in the crucial 2019 elections and the two following by-elections.