K V Singhdeo new State BJP chief

Finally, the mantle has fallen on K V Singhdeo. Ending speculations, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday announced the name of K V Singhdeo to head the State party unit.

Singh Deo, 54, is a four-time legislator. He is also leader of the BJP in the state assembly.

He served as a cabinet minister twice in the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD)-BJP alliance government from 2000 to 2009.

For the past few months, a large number of party leaders from the state had been camping in Delhi, requesting the central leadership to intervene after the tenure of its state president Jual Oram ended in December.

Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo will lead the Odisha unit of the BJP in the 2014 general elections.

Welcoming Singhdeo’s appointment, national BJP general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan told mediapersons that sobriety is the strong point of KV.

“He is amicable and has all the qualities of a leader. Having a spotless image, I am sure he will carry all the leaders of the party with him,” Pradhan said.