BJD revamps media panel, inducts 'outspoken' leaders

BHUBANESWAR: The ruling BJD on Wednesday revamped its media panel by inducting more outspoken and tech-savvy leaders.
The party issued a list of five national spokespersons, 15 spokespersons and 10 panelists. Four senior MPs - Pinaki Mishra, Anubhav Mohanty, Sasmit Patra and Amar Patnaik - and retired bureaucrat, Satyanarayan Sahu, were chosen as the national spokespersons.
Pinaki - the Lok Sabha member from Puri - is a Supreme Court lawyer. Anubhav, who won from the Kendrapada parliamentary segment, is an actor-cum-politician. Rajya Sabha members Sasmit and Amar have earlier served as a management teacher and principal accountant-general, respectively.
Sasmit, who was media's go-to man in BJD during the elections, has also been given the responsibility of being the party's media coordinator.
Satyanarayan, who joined BJD ahead of the general elections, had previously worked as a joint secretary in the Lok Sabha. "Grateful to the party and leader Shri Naveen Patnaik for having given me the shared responsibility of national spokesperson. Will stick to our party's cherished track record of sober deliberation and discussion at all times," tweeted Pinaki.
Senior leader Pratap Deb, who had strongly defended the party and the state government in his previous stint as spokesperson, has retained the post. Other senior leaders like Debi Prasad Mishra, Prashant Nanda, Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Byomokesh Ray and Subash Singh have also been appointed as spokespersons.
Subash Chauhan, who left BJP to join the ruling party ahead of the polls, also got the same post. Women leaders Sulata Deo, Lopamudra Baxipatra and Shreemayee Mishra will also convey the party's line.
Those appointed as panelists are former head of city municipal corporation Mihir Mohanty, Santosh Lenka, Sanjay Baboo and Biswajit Mohanty. The panelists will represent the party in various regional channels.