Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 10: ‘Better late than never’ seems to be the motto of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik when it comes to joining social networks. Patnaik has finally joined the social media by opening a Twitter account and sending two tweets.
Unlike previous incidents of fake accounts and parody Twitter handles of the chief minister, the handle @Naveen_Odisha that entered the cyberspace Wednesday is Patnaik’s authentic Twitter account, said the Chief Minister’s Office Thursday. “This is the chief minister’s genuine, personal Twitter account. He has joined Twitter,” said a senior CMO official to Orissa POST.
Earlier, a tweet from the Biju Janata Dal had said the latest handle in the CM’s name was his personal id, but doubts remained till clarifications came from the CMO. The official handle of BJD, @bjd_Odisha, had tweeted Wednesday: “Let’s welcome our beloved CM Shri Naveen Patnaik on @twitter. Please follow him on his personal id ‘@Naveen_Odisha’”.
Within hours of joining the most happening and instant social network, Patnaik’s account found nearly 415 followers by 11.30pm Wednesday. This number grew to 1,800 by late Thursday evening. Patnaik’s first tweet, sent Wednesday, was ‘Jai Jagannath…’ This was re-tweeted several times by the Twitterati. Patnaik took to Twitter for the second time Thursday to congratulate the Korei constituency for successfully organizing a blood donation camp. “Congratulations Korei… for donating more than 2,000 units of blood yesterday in Jiban Bindu. Always want completion in good works,” he wrote.
Interestingly, Patnaik reduced the number of accounts he himself follows on the micro-blogging site from four to three Thursday. He dropped the account of Asit, an engineer. The three accounts he follows are the BJD, the President of India and the PMO.
There were two occasions in the past when the CMO had denied that Facebook accounts purportedly opened in Patnaik’s name actually belonged to him.
