Fight for farmers, chit fund victims of Odisha will continue: Soumya Ranjan Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: Noted journalist and media baron Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, who was named as BJD candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from the State, said he will continue his fight for the common people, especially farmers in the State.

“I will raise issues pertaining to the commom people of my State in Delhi (Parliament) more aggressively,” Patnaik promised expressing his gratitude to BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for nominating me as party’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.

who welcomed him to the party at his residence earlier in the day.

The former Bhubaneswar MP, who is known for launching a crusade against the government for the benefit of farmers and chit fund victims in the State, said he will urge the Centre to hike the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers among other facililities.

“We had initiated our fight for the chit fund victims in the State and this will continue till they get their money back,” said Patnaik, who is also the Advisor of Odisha Arthika Sanstha Mananka Dwara Kshyatigrastanka Milita Mancha (ASMDKMM), the apex body of investors in the State cheated by chit companies.

This apart, the 65-year-old leader stated that he will keep on his fight for the growth of Odia language.

Born on August 18, 1952, Patnaik is the founder and editor of leading Odia daily ‘Sambad’, is also the son-in-law of former Odisha Chief Minister JB Patnaik. His elder brother Niranjan Patnaik is a senior Congress leader. He was elected as Bhubaneswar MP in 1996 to the 11th Lok Sabha on a Congress ticket.

However, he had left Congress and joined BJP. Later, he returned to Congress. In November 2013, he had formed the Ama Odisha Party after he was expelled from the grand old party for alleged ‘anti-party activities’.