Bhubaneshwar, June 8: Preparations are in full swing at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneshwar for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Odisha Chief Minister on June 10. Approximately 30,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony.
NDA leaders including Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, Minister Amit Shah, and others are likely to attend the event. After suffering a significant defeat in the State Assembly and Parliamentary elections, the 24-year tenure of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik as Chief Minister of Odisha concluded. He submitted his resignation to Odisha Governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday last.
Reviewing the election defeat in Odisha, he instructed party leaders to maintain close contact with the people and work towards the betterment of the state. Speaking to ANI, BJD leader Mahesh Sahu said, "He (Naveen Patnaik) advised us to maintain good relations with the people of our constituency. He also instructed us to stay connected with the people of our area and be aware of their problems."
Another BJD leader, Swarup Das, mentioned that Naveen Patnaik is deeply concerned about the well-being of the people of the state. "I am grateful to our CM... He urged us to work for the people. The people of Odisha have immense faith in us and the party cadres. BJD secured a 41 per cent vote share. Our CM is always concerned about the well-being of Odisha and he has instructed every party cadre to work for the well-being of the people," Das said.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has governed Odisha since 1997, faced defeat against the BJP, ending Naveen Patnaik's 24-year reign as Chief Minister.
The Bharatiya Janata Party secured 78 seats in the 147-seat assembly, surpassing the majority mark of 74, while the BJD secured 51 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP performed well by securing 20 out of the 21 parliamentary seats in the state, with the remaining one seat won by the Congress.