In a surprising political setback, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was defeated in the Kantabanji seat during the state assembly elections even as the BJP created history by leading on 77 seats out of 147 seats and all set to form a government in the state.
Laxman Bag of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated Patnaik in Kantabanji.
Patnaik’s loss occurs as his party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), faces significant challenges from the BJP in the Odisha assembly elections.
Out of Odisha’s 147 seats, the latest figures show the BJP leading with 77 seats, compared to the BJD’s 52.
Even in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has swept Odisha, leading on an unprecedented 19 out of the 21 seats.
Odisha experienced an intense political campaign marked by the BJP and the BJD, once allies, exchanging sharp criticisms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP focused their attacks on Naveen Patnaik’s health, criticized his aide VK Pandian for not being a native of Odia, and emphasized Odia pride.
Conversely, the BJD based its campaign on the welfare initiatives and programs implemented by Naveen Patnaik’s administration.
However, the loss means Naveen Patnaik has fallen 74 days short of breaking the record for the longest-serving CM in the history of India.
Naveen has already spent 24 years and 91 days in the Chief Minister’s Office in Odisha. Pawan Kumar Chamling, who served as the CM of Sikkim from December 12, 1994, to May 26, 2019, held office for 24 years and 165 days.
Having been in power since 2000 and winning the past five elections convincingly, Naveen faced a formidable challenger this time in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite announcing a team of 40-star campaigners to counter the PM’s high-profile campaign team, Naveen largely relied on his political acumen and the expertise of his close aide V. Karthikeyan Pandian. Together, they conducted extensive campaigns across the 147 assembly seats and 21 parliamentary constituencies.
