BJD Appoints Manas Mangaraj as Rajya Sabha Chief Whip, Replacing Sulata Deo

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Removes Sulata Deo as Rajya Sabha Chief Whip, Appoints Manas Mangaraj

In a sudden move, BJD, on Wednesday, replaced Sulata Deo with senior leader Manas Mangaraj as the Chief Whip of the party in Rajya Sabha. The party made this announcement through a press release, stating, “Shri Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, MP, Rajya Sabha, is hereby appointed as Chief Whip of the Biju Janata Dal in Rajya Sabha with immediate effect.”

Manas Mangaraj expressed his gratitude on Twitter, thanking BJD President and Hon’ble CM Shri @Naveen_Odisha for entrusting him with this role. He pledged to fulfill the responsibilities of Chief Whip to the best of his abilities.

The decision to replace Sulata Deo with Manas has sparked speculation, with some suggesting that BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik may not have been pleased with Sulata’s performance. This change follows an incident during the party’s ‘Jansampark Padyatra’ in Bhubaneswar where Naveen Patnaik was reportedly upset with Sulata. Notably, Manas Mangaraj also serves as the Media and Public Relations Advisor to the Odisha government and is a prominent leader from the Chilika Assembly constituency.