High stakes battle in Odisha between BJP and BJD
The Hindu
High-stakes elections in Odisha between BJP and BJD, with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik aiming for sixth term.
The stakes are extremely high in Odisha for the the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), particularly for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in the fiercely contested four-phase elections for both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly that will conclude on June 1.
If re-elected, the Odisha CM, who has been in the role for 24 years, would assume power for the sixth term. He may go on to become India’s longest serving Chief Minister, surpassing former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling’s record.
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The 77-year-old BJD chief, son of the late Biju Patnaik, did not have any experience in politics till he turned 50. Enjoying a stellar political career, he has never faced defeat in the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.
After a brief stint (1998 and 1999) as Union Steel Minister in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr. Patnaik took oath as Odisha CM on March 5, 2000. Since then, he has not shown an interest in national politics, choosing to focus on the State instead.
As a regional party, the BJD too has never been in out of power since its formation on December 26, 1997. Till 2009, both the BJD and the BJP remained in alliance.
After the regional party severed its ties with the BJP just before the 2009 election over the issue of anti-Christian riots, the party has consistently won over 100 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly in 2009, 2014 and 2019 State elections. The party has also fared outstandingly in the Lok Sabha elections despite fighting solo after 2009.
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