Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik has resigned following a significant defeat in both the State Assembly and Parliamentary elections. This marks the end of his 24-year tenure. On Wednesday, Patnaik submitted his resignation to Governor Raghubar Das at Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar
The BJP has emerged victorious, securing 78 seats in the 147-seat assembly, thereby ending BJD's long-standing rule. The BJD won only 51 seats, far below the majority mark of 74, while the Indian National Congress managed to secure 14 seats.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP also performed well in Odisha, winning 20 out of 21 parliamentary seats. The remaining seat went to the Congress.
Naveen Patnaik's unexpected entry into politics through the BJD, a party named after his father, former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik, marked the beginning of a long political journey. He first won a Lok Sabha bypoll in 1998, representing his father's constituency of Aska. After the BJD's success in the 2000 Assembly elections, Patnaik resigned from his Union Cabinet position to become Chief Minister, forming a coalition with the BJP.
Since then, Patnaik has been the second-longest-serving Chief Minister in India, following Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling.
The counting of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections revealed that the BJP won 240 seats, a significant drop from its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress showed strong growth, winning 99 seats, while the INDIA bloc secured over 230 seats, posing a formidable challenge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a third term, but the BJP now needs support from coalition partners like JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu. Despite winning 240 seats, the BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 needed for a majority, marking the first time since 2014 that the party has not achieved a majority on its own.
Lok Sabha Elections Recap: AAP Gains Ground in Punjab, Why Suffered Defeat in Delhi
Rahul Gandhi's Dual Win: A Look at Contesting Two Seats in Lok Sabha
Elections Victory: How Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu Emerge Kingmakers