The occasion was exceptional and the open-air grandstanding extraordinary compared to similar occasions in other states. The celebration transcended the portals of Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Quite the most critical feature in terms of electoral politics and governance must be that Mr Naveen Patnaik was on Wednesday sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha for a record fifth term.

Going by the electoral calculus, this theoretically accords him 25 years in the saddle, having assumed power in 1998 after the passing of his father, the legendary Biju Patnaik. Very nearly and judging by the yardstick of tenure, this posits him on the same pedestal as Jyoti Basu who was Chief Minister from 1977 to 2001.

The presence of Mr Patnaik’s siblings ~ who normally keep a distance from politics ~ on so momentous an occasion was a striking facet to the ceremony. Aside from the familial bonding, the participation of social help groups, with 70 lakh members, and women in large numbers was concordant with his agenda, most importantly the reservation of constituencies for women in the new state Assembly.

Alone in India, the Chief Minister has charted the course of action on an issue that has left the political class floundering while crafting an essay towards a generally agreeable legislation. Mr Patnaik has shown the way. He has effected a deft balance even in the constitution of his Cabinet, dropping the “powerful, yet controversial”.

He said: “The world should know that Odisha’s time has come and our time starts now.”

Thus did he reach out to the global business community, indeed enhancing the success of the recent international business conclave in Bhubaneswar. It would be less than accurate to suggest that rhetorical flourish marked his presentation, specifically the mention of what he calls a “fifth dimension” to his praxis of governance.

Notably, he has added the value of Time to his fundamental matrix ~ a cocktail of Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, and Transformation. Acutely aware that Time ~ which historian Percival Spear had described as the “old gypsy man who will not wait” ~, he has arguably set a time-frame to execute his agenda.

Less easily achieved is an Odisha “where poverty will become a thing of the past and where dreams of the youth will come true”. The predominantly rural state’s major impediment towards growth and development has been the grinding poverty, and the disproportionate assaults of nature, which he has tackled better than most. These are the formidable challenge that Mr Patnaik will have to countenance.