Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has crossed a new milestone in his political career. Naveen is the second longest serving Chief Minister in the country no. Ex-West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu’s record was overtaken.
Naveen has now spent 23 years and 139 days as Chief Minister. He became the Chief Minister of Odisha on March 5, 2000. Jyoti Basu, who became the Chief Minister on June 21, 1977, held the post for 23 years and 137 days till November 5, 2000. Pawan Kumar Chamling, who was the Chief Minister of Sikkim, was the longest serving Chief Minister in the country.
He was the Chief Minister from December 12, 1994 to May 27, 2019. After Chamling and Basu, Naveen Patnaik is the third leader to become Chief Minister five times. If the Biju Janata Dal wins the 2024 assembly elections in Odisha and Patnaik remains in office, he will hold the record of becoming the chief minister for the most number of times.
Naveen left Janata Dal and formed a new party named Biju Janata Dal on 26 December 1997 in the name of his father. From 1997 to 2000, he was a member of Lok Sabha from Aska constituency. From 1998 to 2000 he was in charge of the Central Steel and Mining Department.
