BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik resigns as Odisha Chief Minister

Bhubaneswar, June 5: On Wednesday, Naveen Patnaik, the leader of BJD and Chief Minister of Odisha, tendered his resignation.

After a tenure of 24 years and 89 days as the Chief Minister of Odisha, Patnaik submitted his resignation letter to the Governor, effectively concluding his distinguished career. Departing from his residence, 'Naveen Niwas', at 11:30 am, he proceeded to the Raj Bhawan, where he handed over his resignation letter to Raghubar Das, the Governor of Odisha.

Patnaik's resignation came following the Biju Janata Dal's loss of majority in the Assembly elections, securing only 51 seats. Despite facing challenges, Patnaik managed to retain his seat in the Hinjili Assembly constituency with a margin of 4,000 votes, although he lost in Kantabhanji by 16,000 votes.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJD encountered setbacks, losing most of its seats to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which secured 20 out of 21 seats. Meanwhile, the Congress secured only one seat.

In the Assembly elections, the BJP secured a significant victory with 78 seats, while the Congress won 14 seats.