Naveen Patnaik would be sworn-in as the state’s Chief Minister for a fifth consecutive term on May 29 in a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, the BJD said on Saturday, adding that it would be an austere occasion in view of the Cyclone Fani that caused much death and destruction in the state.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik addresses a press conference in Bhubaneswar on May 23, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
Incumbent Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo, Naveen Patnaik, would be sworn-in as the state’s Chief Minister for a fifth consecutive term on May 29 in a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, the BJD said on Saturday, adding that it would be an austere occasion in view of the Cyclone Fani that caused much death and destruction in the state.
Naveen Patnaik is likely to be elected as the leader of the BJD’s legislature party at a meeting on May 26, informed the party sources. He will meet the newly-elected MPs and MLAs on May 26.
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Patnaik will meet the newly-elected MPs at Naveen Niwas in the morning while he will meet the party MLAs at the party state headquarters in the afternoon, said BJD spokesman Sasmit Patra.
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Party sources said that he is likely to be elected as the leader of the BJD legislature party at the meeting of the newly-elected MLAs.
The BJD, under Naveen Patnaik, secured a thumping win in the state Assembly elections as it won 112 Assembly seats in the 147-member House, thus continuing his grip on the party as well as the eastern state which is recovering from the battering it suffered due to the devastating Cyclone Fani.
The BJD supremo has stamped his invincibility by retaining power for a fifth successive term and joined the elite duo of late Jyoti Basu and Pawan Chamling. The Naveen fortress withstood the Modi wave and Amit Shah’s election management for the second time running – 2014 and 2019.
As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), BJD’s vote share in the Assembly polls is around 44.7 per cent. Out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJD has won 12 seats, BJP 8 and Congress one.
Elections for the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha were held across four phases, from April 11 to 29 while simultaneous elections were held for the Odisha Assembly.
(With Agency inputs)
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