Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to contest for a record sixth time from the Hinjili assembly seat for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Mr Patnaik is the second longest-serving chief minister after Sikkim's Pawan Kumar Chamling. Winning in 2024 will help him overtake Mr Chamling.
Here are a few facts on Naveen Patnaik:
1. Naveen Patnaik was born on October 16, 1946, in Cuttack to former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik. He went to school at St Joseph's Convent in Cuttack before moving to Welham Boys' School in Dehradun and later to The Doon School. Mr Patnaik pursued his Bachelor's Degree in Arts at Kirori Mal College, Delhi University. He is also a gifted painter with a keen interest in history and culture.
2. Despite his family's political legacy, Naveen Patnaik initially stayed away from politics. After his father Biju Patnaik's death in 1997, he entered politics and was elected to the Lok Sabha, after a by-election, from the Aska seat in Odisha. On December 26, 1997, he founded the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which was named after his father.
3. In the 2000 Assembly elections, the BJD, in alliance with the BJP, won the majority of seats leading to Naveen Patnaik resigning from the Union Cabinet to become the Chief Minister. In 2009, the BJD parted ways with the NDA after the Kandhamal riots.
4. Over the years, BJD emerged as the most dominant force in Odisha. In 2019 state polls, BJD won 112 of 146 seats in the Assembly, which earned Naveen Patnaik a fifth consecutive term as chief minister.
5. While everyone is aware of Mr Patnaik's political acumen, not many know that he also acted in a Hollywood film that was released in 1988. He played a minor role in The Deceivers, directed by Nicholas Meyer and starred Pierce Brosnan.