Bhubaneswar, Oct 16 Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and many other dignitaries greeted BJD president Naveen Patnaik on his 80th birthday on Friday.
Patnaik, a five-term former chief minister of Odisha, was born in Cuttack on October 16, 1946.
Kambhampati, in a social media post, said, “Heartfelt birthday wishes to Odisha’s former chief minister Shri @Naveen_Odisha. Praying to Lord Shri Jagannath for your long life and happiness.”
Majhi also greeted Patnaik on the occasion.
“Heartfelt birthday greetings and congratulations to the esteemed Leader of the Opposition, Shri @Naveen_Odisha. I pray to Lord Shri Jagannath for your good health, long life, and a happy life,” he added.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), in its birthday greetings, described the former chief minister as the “nation’s hero” and “the pulse of crores of Odias”.
“His family comprises 4.5 crore Odias; service and development are his identities. The entire world is praising his tireless efforts to take every Odia along and make Odisha the best in the world. #HBDNaveenPatnaik,” the BJD said in a social media post.
Naveen Patnaik, the son of two-time chief minister Biju Patnaik, completed his BA degree from the University of Delhi in 1967 but remained away from politics. He became a writer and lived abroad for many years.
He, however, returned to India before his father’s death in 1997.
Naveen Patnaik was first elected as a Lok Sabha member in the by-election to Aska constituency, the seat represented by his father. He then served as a Union minister for a brief period before becoming the chief minister of Odisha in 2000.
BJD, the party floated by him, remained in power for the next 24 years before being defeated by the BJP in the 2024 polls.
Patnaik remained the CM for five consecutive terms with successive electoral victories (2000, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019).
In the 2024 assembly elections, Patnaik was again elected from his traditional seat, Hinjili, but lost at Kantabanji in Bolangir district. He has been serving as the leader of the opposition in the state assembly since 2024.
(PTI News)
