Bhubaneswar, June 5: After a resounding defeat in the State assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Naveen Patnaik, the long-standing Chief Minister of Odisha and president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), tendered his resignation to governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
Wiyh this, Patnaik’s 24-year tenure as the State’s Chief Minister came to an end.
The Governor has accepted the resignation of Patnaik and requested him to remain in charge as the Caretaker Chief Minister until the new Government is sworn in.
The BJP emerged victorious, securing 78 out of the 147 seats in the State Assembly, while the BJD managed to win only 51 seats, falling significantly short of the majority mark of 74. Congress secured 14 seats.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP dominated by winning 20 out of the 21 parliamentary seats in Odisha, with Congress claiming the remaining seat. BJD couldn’t open its account in the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, after meeting with newly elected party MLAs at his residence Naveen Niwas, outgoing CM Patnaik said, “We have worked hard to reduce poverty from 70% to 10%. Our efforts in agriculture, irrigation and women empowerment have led to this achievement.”
