Naveen Patnaik sworn in as Odisha Chief Minister

May 30, 2019

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik takes oath as CM of Odisha for a record 5th consecutive term. BJD has been in power in Odisha since 2000.

The 72 year old Naveen Patnaik is the longest-serving chief minister of coastal state. BJD has been in power in the state since 2000.
He won a clear mandate of 112 out of the 147 seats in the recently conducted Odisha state election that were held along with national elections.
Out of 20 Parliamentary seats Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) bagged 8 seats and BJD won 12.
Oath Ceremony: His oath was administered oath by Odisha’s Governor Ganeshi Lal at a function in Bhubaneswar. Unlike past low-key oath taking ceremonies this is the first time that swearing in was held in full public view, outside the Raj Bhavan. 20 newly elected BJD MLAs also took oath as ministers, including 11 of Cabinet rank.
The Decisive Mandate: The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was once a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) between year 1998 and 2009. But later, maintained “equidistant” from BJP as well as the Congress. On Claiming that no party will get a majority in national election 2019 Mr Patnaik announced his support for any party or coalition that supports the Odisha’s development especially in aftermath of Cyclone Fani that left a trail of destruction in the state and killed 64 people.