Naveen Patnaik drops Anubhav as BJD national spokesperson

BHUBANESWAR: Three days after the crucial meetings of the BJD State Executive and State Council, party supremo Naveen Patnaik reconstituted the list of spokespersons on Friday by removing several senior leaders including MP Anubhav Mohanty who is accused of domestic violence and harassment by his wife Varsha Priyadarshini.

Apart from the Kendrapara MP, senior leader Satyanarayan Sahu has been removed as national spokesperson while former ministers Debi Mishra and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, former MLA Akash Das Nayak, senior leaders Bharadwaj Mishra and Subash Singh have been dropped from the list of spokespersons. 

The newly appointed national spokesperson of the party are Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya, Puri Lok Sabha member Pinaki Mishra, Kandhamal Lok Sabha member Achyuta Samanta, Rajya Sabha members Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra and Jajpur MP Sarmistha Sethi.

The 16 spokespersons include Berhampur MP Chandrasekhar Sahu, Nabarangpur MP Ramesh Chandra Majhi, former ministers Pratap Keshari Deo and Snehangini Chhuria,  MLA Byomakesh Ray and former legislators Raseswari Panigrahi and Anubhab Patnaik.The Chief Minister also announced a 14-member team of media panellists to represent the party.