Bhubaneswar, Apr 19 (PTI) Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik was on Saturday chosen as the president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the ninth time in a row.

Patnaik, the founding president of the regional party, was the lone candidate for the post.

BJD’s organisational election returning officer PK Deb announced Patnaik as the party president at the state council meeting held at its state headquarters Sankha Bhawan.

As soon as his name was announced, the party’s district leaders greeted Patnaik and offered him flowers, paintings and Lord Jagannath’s ‘Anga bastra’ and ‘Maha Prasad’.

The party’s state council has 355 members, and 80 of them were elected as state executive members, Deb added. PTI AAM BDC