Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was lected on Sunday unopposed as president of ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the seventh consecutive time.

BJD returning officer Pratap Keshari Deb made the formal announcement at the party headquarters here. "Patnaik was elected unopposed as president of BJD," he said.

Patnaik, who has been chief minister since March 2000, was the lone candidate to file nomination papers for the post.

Patnaik is founder president of the BJD, which came into being after the death of former chief minister and his father Biju Patnaik in 1997.

Names of 81 state executive members of the party were also announced on Friday. The party's organisational elections saw 33 new faces.

"I thank all the BJD workers for re-electing me as president," Patnaik said.

He said that while the BJD had emerged as a strong political party in the state, its importance had increased in national politics too.

The BJD's organisational polls were held in five phases.