In a low-key yet widely watched homecoming, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik touched down in Bhubaneswar on Sunday evening after a six-day private visit to the national capital.
The veteran leader was received at Biju Patnaik International Airport by senior BJD leaders and workers waving party flags and cheering his arrival.
BJD senior vice-president Debi Mishra confirmed that the trip was purely a routine personal visit and not connected to any political deliberations. “Naveen Babu had gone to Delhi for household matters. It was a scheduled private trip,” Mishra told reporters at the airport.
Patnaik, who steered Odisha for over two decades as Chief Minister before the 2024 assembly polls, has maintained a relatively quiet profile since the elections. His return comes amid ongoing speculation about the party’s future strategy and possible realignments in state politics. However, party insiders insist there is no hidden agenda behind the Delhi visit.
