Naveen Patnaik joins elite league, matches Jyoti Basu's record as India's 2nd longest-serving CM
PTC News Desk: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik equalled the record set by former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and became India's second longest-serving Chief Minister on Saturday.
Patnaik has shared the position with the late senior CPI (M) leader for a remarkable 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.
Patnaik is also the third politician, following Chamling and Basu, to serve as chief minister of a state five times in a row. Patnaik will be India's longest-serving chief minister if the governing BJD wins the 2024 elections.
"We are happy that our chief minister has crossed the record of West Bengal's former CM Jyoti Basu. I am sure that Patnaik will break all the records of the past, and will emerge as the longest-serving CM," BJD vice president Prasanna Acharya said.
Congratulating Naveen Patnaik, Congress leader SS Saluja said, "We congratulate Naveen Patnaik for becoming the second-longest-serving CM, but we are pained that Patnaik is not doing anything during his term."
Senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari also offered wishes and said history will not remember how long one serves as the chief minister, but how one creates history within a short span of time.
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- PTC NEWS
