Naveen Patnaik (Odia: [n̪ɔbin̪ pɔʈn̪ajk]; born 16 October 1946) is an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. His 24-year reign is the second longest for a chief minister of any Indian state, after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim. He is the first president of the Biju Janata Dal since 1997.[2] He served as the Union Minister of Steel and Mines from 1998 to 2000 and a member of the Lok Sabha from Aska from 1997 to 2000.
Naveen Patnaik | |
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![]() Official portrait, 2019 | |
23rd Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Odisha Legislative Assembly | |
Assumed office 19 June 2024[1] | |
Governor | Raghubar Das |
Chief Minister | Mohan Charan Majhi |
Preceded by | Jayanarayan Mishra |
14th Chief Minister of Odisha | |
In office 5 March 2000 – 11 June 2024 | |
Governor | |
Preceded by | Hemananda Biswal |
Succeeded by | Mohan Charan Majhi |
Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly | |
Assumed office 5 March 2000 | |
Preceded by | Udayanath Nayak |
Constituency | Hinjili |
Union Minister of Mines, Government of India | |
In office 19 March 1998 – 4 March 2000 | |
Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
Preceded by | Birendra Prasad Baishya |
Succeeded by | Sunder Lal Patwa |
President of Biju Janata Dal | |
Assumed office 26 December 1997 | |
Preceded by | position established |
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
In office 12 April 1997 – 4 March 2000 | |
Preceded by | Biju Patnaik |
Succeeded by | Kumudini Patnaik |
Constituency | Aska |
Personal details | |
Born | Cuttack, Orissa, British India (present-day Odisha, India) | 16 October 1946
Political party | Biju Janata Dal (since 1997) |
Other political affiliations | Janata Dal (until 1997) |
Parent |
|
Relatives | Gita Mehta (sister) Sonny Mehta (brother-in-law) |
Residence(s) | Naveen Nivas, Aerodrome Road, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India |
Alma mater | Kirori Mal College, Delhi (BA) |
Profession | Politician, writer |
Website | naveenpatnaik |
Source: [1] |
Biography
Patnaik was born on 16 October 1946 in Cuttack to Biju Patnaik, former Chief Minister of Odisha, and his wife, Gyan Devi.[3][4] He was educated at the Welham Boys' School in Dehradun, and later The Doon School.[5] At Doon, he was a classmate of Sanjay Gandhi and three years junior to Rajiv Gandhi, who later became prime minister.[6] After school, he went to the Kirori Mal College[7] of Delhi University, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.[8]
Patnaik is a writer and had for the most part of his youth been away from both politics and Odisha, but after his father Biju Patnaik's demise, he entered politics in 1997 and the same year founded the Biju Janata Dal, named after Biju Patnaik, which won the state election with the BJP as its alliance and formed the government in which Patnaik became Chief Minister. His mild mannerism, "Stand against corruption" and "Pro-poor policies" have resulted in the development of a huge support base in Odisha, which has voted him to power in the last five consecutive terms. Like his father, he has managed to control the bureaucracy and transformed it into a machine for the development of the state.[9] His spartan personal lifestyle and detachment from material possessions has been liked by the people of the state.[10] He is also one of the founding members of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.[11] His elder sister is the writer Gita Mehta.[12]
Political career
After the death of his father Biju Patnaik, leader of the Janata Dal,[8] he was elected as a member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha, India.[8] He was a member of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel & Mines, Member of Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member Library Committee of Parliament. In December 1997, Naveen split from the Janata Dal and founded the Biju Janata Dal.[13] The new party was in alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance performed well and Naveen Patnaik was selected the Union Minister for Mines in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Elections 2000
In the 2000 Assembly election, BJD won the majority of seats in alliance with the BJP in the Odisha Assembly elections, Patnaik resigned from the Union cabinet and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha.
Elections 2004
BJP led NDA lost the general elections in 2004, however, the coalition led by Naveen Patnaik emerged victorious in the state legislative elections and he continued as the Chief Minister. During this tenure, the friction between the ruling partners was getting more and more apparent, especially after the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati[14] in the Kandhamal district of Odisha in 2007–2008 and also the active participation of Bajrang Dal in the riots that hit Kandhamal region.
Elections 2009
In the run-up to the polls for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly of Odisha elections in 2009, BJD walked out of the NDA after severing ties with the BJP and joined the nascent Third Front constituted mainly by the Left Front and few regional parties.[15] He did it after severely criticizing BJP's involvement in Kandhamal anti-Christian riots during 2008. The BJD won a resounding victory in both the Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly) as well as the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, winning 14 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats and 103 of the 147 assembly seats and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha on 21 May 2009 for the third consecutive term.[16]
Elections 2014
Patnaik won a huge victory in both the 2014 Indian general elections and the Legislative Assembly of Odisha elections in 2014. Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal secured 20 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats of Odisha and 117 of the 147 Odisha Vidhan Sabha seats.[17]
Elections 2019
In spite of a strong BJP wave across the country, the Biju Janata Dal, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik won as many as 112 seats out of 146 (polls for 1 was deferred) in the Legislative Assembly of Odisha and 12 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 Indian general elections.
Elections 2024
The Biju Janata Dal was voted of power in the 2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly election as the party managed to win only 51 seats in Legislative Assembly of Odisha, thus ending Patnaik's 24-year rule in Odisha. Patnaik was himself defeated in Kantabanji constituency by 16,344 votes, marking his first political defeat. However, he did win the Hinjili seat, but with a much reduced margin compared to previous elections. In the general elections as well, the BJD won 0 seats, failing to open their account. The BJP won the assembly elections in Odisha and swept the Lok Sabha elections as well, winning 20 out of 21 seats.[18][19]
Electoral history
Year | Office | Constituency | Party | Votes for Naveen | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Result | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | Aska | Biju Janata Dal | 3,10,751 | 53.88 | Chandra Sekhar Sahu | Indian National Congress | 2,24,540 | 38.93 | Won | [20] | ||
1999 | 3,59,178 | 74.90 | Duti Krushna Panda | Communist Party of India | 1,02,442 | 21.36 | Won | [21] | |||||
2000 | Member of the Legislative Assembly | Hinjili | 56,243 | 65.35 | Udayanath Nayak | Indian National Congress | 29,826 | 34.65 | Won | [22] | |||
2004 | 62,968 | 72.71 | Udayanath Nayak | 20,326 | 23.47 | Won | [23] | ||||||
2009 | 72,942 | 76.04 | Raghabo Parida | 11,669 | 12.17 | Won | [24] | ||||||
2014 | 89,267 | 73.14 | Sibaram Patra | 12,681 | 10.39 | Won | [25] | ||||||
2019 | 94,065 | 66.32 | Pitambar Acharya | Bharatiya Janata Party | 33,905 | 23.91 | Won | [26] | |||||
Bijepur | 1,10,604 | 59.78 | Sanat Kumar Gartia | 53,482 | 28.91 | Won | [26] | ||||||
2024 | Hinjili | 66,459 | 46.85 | Sisir Kumar Mishra | 61,823 | 43.59 | Won | [2] | |||||
Kantabanji | 74,532 | 36.56 | Laxman Bag | 90,876 | 44.57 | Lost | [3] |
Language
Patnaik spent most of his early days away from Odisha, so he has problems with writing and speaking fluently in Odia language.[27] He is the only chief minister of India who does not speak fluently the regional language of his state and because of this, he has been facing severe criticism from his opponents. Presently, Patnaik has an adequate working knowledge of Odia and he possesses great mastery over Hindi, French, Punjabi, and English. At rallies, he delivers Odia speeches written in Roman alphabet.[28]
Accolades
Award | Year | Conferrer | Event/Location |
---|---|---|---|
Lifetime Achievement Award | 2022 | N. V. Ramana | Capital Foundation National Awards |
Hero to Animals Award | 2020 | PETA | Odisha, India |
CSI E-Ratna Award | 2020 | Computer Society of India | 53rd CSI Annual Convention |
FIH President's Award | 2018 | International Hockey Federation | 46th FIH Congress |
Ideal Chief Minister | 2018 | Pratibha Patil | 8th Indian Students' Parliament |
Best Administrator in India | 2017 | Pranab Mukherjee | Outlook India Speak Out Awards 2017 |
United Nations Award | 2013 | United Nations | Odisha State Secretariat |
Recognitions
- The United Nations in 2013, felicitated Naveen by presenting a citation for his government's handling of Cyclone Phailin which hit Odisha in October 2013. The body also announced that the state's efforts would be highlighted as a model for disaster management programs globally. Naveen was also invited by the international body to attend the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), which was held in Sendai, Japan from 14 to 18 March 2015.[29]
- The United Nations in 2019, complimented Naveen for his government's proposal of reserving 33% of seats for women in the National Parliament as well as in the state's Legislative Assembly.[30]
Writings
See also
References
- ^ Barik, Satyasundar (19 June 2024). "Naveen Patnaik elected Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly". The Hindu.
- ^ "From greenhorn to history-scripting politician". The Hindu. 18 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Naveen Patnaik: From Reluctant Political Heir to Odisha's Longest Serving Chief Minister". NDTV. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Bhatt, Sheela (11 March 2009). "Naveen Patnaik's master stroke in Orissa". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- ^ Reshmi R Dasgupta (10 May 2004). "Naveen Patnaik sets stage for GeNext Doscos". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ Bhandare, Namita (16 June 1997). "Naveen Patnaik juggles his socialite pursuits with his party's socialist goals". India Today. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Shri Naveen Patnaik – OdishaGovt". Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ a b c "Profile-Chief Minister of Orissa". Orissa. Gov.in. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ^ For Naveen, politics is a way to complete father's agenda Archived 20 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Indianexpress.com (10 May 1997). Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- ^ Shankar, Kalyani (4 January 2018). "From a soft-spoken socialite to a ruthless, authoritarian leader: Naveen Patnaik's two decades in Odisha". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ "INTACH Founding Members". INTACH. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ Bisoyi, Sujit Kumar (26 January 2019). "Gita Mehta: Naveen Patnaik's sister and author Gita Mehta declines Padma Shri award". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Banerjee, Ruben; Ansari, Javed M. (28 December 1997). "Janata Dal split in Orissa spells doom for both the party and Congress". India Today. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Local factors led to Kandhamal violence". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Kandhamal led to split with BJP: Patnaik". India Today. 16 May 2009. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ Jha, Nikhil (16 April 2019). "Rise and rise of BJD leader Naveen Patnaik: Has the Odisha chief minister hit a plateau?". Times Now. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Partywise Result". Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- ^ "Naveen Patnaik: The fall of a titan". The Hindu. 11 June 2024.
- ^ "How BJP outsmarted BJD and conquered the state of Odisha". The Indian Express. 5 June 2024.
- ^ "General Elections, 1998 – The 12th Lok Sabha". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "General Elections, 1999 – The 12th Lok Sabha". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Orissa 2000". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Orissa 2004". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Orissa 2009". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Odisha 2014". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Odisha 2019". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Odisha CM's Odia speech written in English goes viral, ridiculed". The Times of India. 17 May 2013. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Naveen Patnaik fails language test". Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "UN citation to Naveen for Phailin evacuation". Business Standard. India. 20 December 2013. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "Women reservation: UN compliment for Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik". The Economic Times. 25 February 2019. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Patnaik, Naveen (1 January 1985). Second Paradise: Indian Courtly Life 1590–1947. Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. ISBN 9780385199926.
- ^ Patnaik, Naveen (1 January 1990). A Desert Kingdom: The Rajputs of Bikaner. Vendome Press. ISBN 9780865651227.
- ^ Patnaik, Naveen (1 January 1993). The Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385424691.