Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal Sunday invited Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik to form the next government in the state. This follows Patnaik’s meeting with Lal at Raj Bhavan where the BJD supremo staked claim to form government in the state for the fifth consecutive time.
Earlier in the day, Patnaik was elected the BJD legislature party leader by the newly elected MLAs in a 45-minute long meeting held at the party headquarters here.
“I am very grateful to the MLAs for unanimously electing me as the BJD legislature party leader. We will work hard for the state’s development,” said the Chief Minister, who will be sworn in for a fifth consecutive term May 29.
According to the party, the swearing-in ceremony will be held on the said date at the Exhibition Ground here.
It is expected that over 5,000 people would attend the ceremony where Patnaik along with his council of ministers would take the oath of office and secrecy.
The BJD won 112 seats in the 147-member House. The Bharatiya Janata Party has become the main opposition party by winning 23 seats. The Congress got only nine seats. The party also won 12 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the general elections, which was held simultaneously with the assembly polls.