Naveen Patnaik sworn-in as fourth time CM in Odisha

Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Odisha for the fourth consecutive term in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

As many as 21 other Members of the new Council of Ministers headed by Mr. Patnaik were also sworn-in at a well-attended ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan premises.

Mr. Patnaik and his Ministerial colleagues were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor S.C. Jamir. A large number of dignitaries and officials attended the ceremony.

Those who took oath as Cabinet Ministers were Damodar Rout, Pradip Kumar Amat, Debi Prasad Mishra, Badrinarayan Patra, Usha Devi, Bijayshree Routray, Bikram Keshari Arukha, Pradeep Maharathy, Lalbihari Himirika, Puspendra Singh Deo, and Yogendra Behera.

Those who became Ministers of State were Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Ramesh Chandra Majhi and Arun Kumar Sahu, Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, Ashok Chandra Panda, Prafulla Kumar Mallick, Snehangini Chhuria, Pranab Prakash Das, Sudam Marandi and Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi.

The portfolios were to be allocated by Mr. Patnaik later in the day.

Mr. Patnaik had become the Chief Minister for the first time on March 5, 2000 when the BJD-BJP alliance came to power when the people ousted the Congress.

Mr. Patnaik continued his second term from 2004 to 2009 when the BJD snapped its ties with the BJP and fought the polls by having seat sharing arrangements with Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Nationalist Congress Party.

Mr. Patnaik, who maintained equidistance from opposition Congress and BJP and refrained from having seats sharing arrangement with any other party to fight the recent polls, led his party to an emphatic victory by securing 117 seats in the 147- member State Assembly.

Opposition Congress won 16 Assembly seats, while BJP won 10, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Samata Kranti Dal one each and Independents two in the recently polls.