Naveen Patnaik: A political icon's evolution as India's 2nd longest-serving CM
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik achieved a new milestone on Saturday, becoming India's second longest-serving Chief Minister.
Patnaik has held the position for a staggering 23 years and 138 days. The title of longest-serving CM, however, goes to Pawan Kumar Chamling, the former Chief Minister of Sikkim, who served for an amazing 24 years and 166 days.
Naveen Patnaik's political journey
Patnaik's political career has been nothing short of remarkable, especially given that he was practically unknown in political circles until the age of 51. On April 17, 1997, his father, the famed former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik, passed away. The state was in a political bind, and former Janata Dal leaders couldn't agree on a viable candidate to lead and benefit on the sympathy wave that followed Biju Patnaik's death.
Naveen Patnaik, who was previously recognized in New Delhi's socialite circles, was called upon to lead the Biju Janata Dal, a party named after his father. His journey began with his election to the Lok Sabha from Ganjam's Aska Lok Sabha constituency.
He was appointed Steel and Mines Minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee cabinet at the centre in 1998, however, he later returned to the state to run in the 2000 assembly elections. His homecoming coincided with the current Congress government's overwhelming unpopularity in Odisha as a result of its mishandling of post-super cyclone rehabilitation.
In the year 2000, Naveen Patnaik successfully led a coalition government with the Bharatiya Janata Party. On March 5, 2000, he was sworn in as the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha. The National Democratic Alliance, of which the BJD was a member, took power in 2004. Even though the NDA suffered setbacks in the 2004 general elections, Patnaik's political prospects in Odisha were unaffected.
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- With inputs from agencies
