Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will elect a new president on July 8.

The BJP today released the schedule for the election of party’s Odisha unit president and members of the national executive in the state.

The party had earlier announced that the Odisha unit of BJP would elect a new president by July 1. The election process was supposed to begin on June 29.

However, the ruling party in Odisha postponed the election in the wake of a tragic stampede near Srigundicha temple at Puri on the third day of the ongoing Ratha Jatra festival on June 29.

As per the revised schedule, the party will issue the final list of the electorate for its presidential poll on July 6.

Interested candidates can file their nominations on July 7. The party will publish the final list of candidates after due verification on the same day and allocate electoral symbols.

If there are more than one candidate, the voting will be conducted between 9 am to 11 am on July 8. The result is scheduled to be declared at 11.30 am on the same day.

It is worth mentioning here that former minister Manmohan Samal had been appointed as the president of BJP Odisha unit in March, 2023.

The party formed its maiden government in Odisha by defeating the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in 2024 Assembly polls.

However, Samal lost the Assembly polls from Chandabali seat in Bhadrak district. Notably, Samal had also served as the president of BJP in Odisha from 1999 to 2004.