Who is Baijayant Jay Panda, the silent strategist who helped BJP conquer Delhi?

Baijayant Panda with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (Image: X)

In a stunning political comeback, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended its 27-year exile by reclaiming Delhi, sweeping aside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which was in power for a decade.

Crossing the halfway mark with 48 seats in the 70-member Assembly, the BJP’s win is being hailed as historic, given its prolonged absence from governance in Delhi.

Several factors are being linked to the BJP’s triumph, from rising anti-incumbency against AAP to the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a series of welfare schemes. Yet, the dedication of party workers remains a key driving force behind this victory.

One notable figure in this effort is Baijayant Panda, the 61-year-old five-time MP from Odisha, who was assigned the crucial responsibility of leading the BJP’s Delhi campaign just over three months before the polls.

With his sharp political acumen and prior organisational experience in Delhi, Jay Panda (as he is known) operated quietly behind the scenes, orchestrating the BJP’s triumph.

“The biggest reason for this history being made is the guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the promises made in the BJP manifesto will be fulfilled. People have unwavering faith in this,” Panda said.

“People of Delhi want development. Now the double-engine government is in place here. Conflict-free governance will be there,” he added.

Who is Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda?

- Panda is national vice-president of BJP and Prabhari (in-charge) of Assam and Delhi BJP units.

- He is a five-time MP from Odisha.

- He had earlier taken on the role of BJP’s Delhi election in-charge for the 2020 Assembly elections as well.

- Jay Panda graduated from the Michigan Technological University and, with a background in Engineering and Management, worked in the corporate sector before joining politics.

- In 2019, Jay Panda switched to the BJP following his departure from Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which had accused him of anti-party conduct.

- In the run-up to the crucial Lok Sabha elections, he was appointed as the BJP’s election in-charge for Uttar Pradesh.

- A day before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the new Income Tax Bill, BJP MP Baijayant Panda from Odisha’s Kendrapara was chosen to head a 31-member committee set up by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to examine it.

- In October 2024, the BJP assigned Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda to lead its Delhi Assembly election campaign—a significant responsibility, given the party’s absence from power in the capital since 1998.