End of an Era: Naveen Patnaik Resigns as Odisha Chief Minister After Historic Defeat

After a staggering defeat in the state assembly elections, Naveen Patnaik, the longstanding Chief Minister of Odisha and leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), announced his resignation, marking the end of a political era that spanned over two decades. The defeat came as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious with a significant majority in the Odisha state assembly elections.

The BJD, under Patnaik’s leadership, had governed Odisha for an impressive 27 years since its victory in 1997. However, the recent electoral blow saw the BJP securing 78 seats out of the 147-member assembly, surpassing the BJD’s 51 seats, with the Congress trailing behind at 14. This loss also reflected in the Lok Sabha elections where the BJP claimed 20 out of the 21 general assembly seats in Odisha.

Naveen Patnaik’s political journey started with a Lok Sabha by-poll victory in 1998 from the Aska constituency. Subsequently, after BJD’s triumph in the 2000 assembly elections, he transitioned from his role in the Union Cabinet to the Chief Minister’s office in Odisha, a position he held until his recent resignation.

Notably, Patnaik’s resignation was formally tendered to the state governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneshwar, signifying the end of his remarkable tenure in Odisha politics. The 77-year-old leader had carved a distinct niche for himself in the Indian political landscape, being the second longest-serving Chief Minister after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim.