Odisha: Naveen Patnaik elected CM for fourth consecutive term

Bhubaneswar: BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who steered Biju Janata Dal to a landslide victory in the assembly polls in Odisha, became chief minister for the fourth consecutive term as he was sworn in today.

Governor SC Jamir administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 67-year-old leader at a ceremony attended by hundreds of party leaders, workers, officials and journalists at the Raj Bhavan in state capital Bhubaneswar.

Earlier, Patnaik had been chosen the BJDLP leader in the first meeting of the newly elected MLAs held at the party headquarters here, BJD sources said.

Senior MLA V Sugyan Kumari Deo had moved the proposal which was supported by Damodar Rout.

The election was a mere ‘formality’ as he is the ‘undisputed’ leader of BJD, the sources said.

After his election, Patnaik, who has been the chief minister since 2000, thanked the newly elected members to the assembly for choosing him as their leader. “We will all work together with renewed effort for the development of Odisha and its people.”

BJD had swept the assembly polls in the state, grabbing a lion’s share of 117 seats in the 147-member house.

While raising its tally from 103 seats in 2009 to 117 this time, the regional party virtually decimated Congress as well as BJP which won 16 and 10 seats respectively.

PTI with additional inputs