Naveen Patnaik holds the record for being India's second longest serving chief minister

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik holds the distinction of being the second longest serving Chief Minister in India.

An Overview of the News 

• Patnaik held the office of Chief Minister for an impressive period of 23 years and 138 days, assuming office on 5 March 2000.

• In achieving this feat, he surpassed the previous record holder, former Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu, who served for 23 years and 137 days from June 21, 1977 to November 5, 2000.

• The title of longest-serving Chief Minister is held by former Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling, who held the post for an even longer period of 24 years and 166 days.

• Patnaik's journey in politics has been remarkable, and his turning point came when he was called on to lead the newly formed Biju Janata Dal on 17 April 1997, following the death of his father, former Chief Minister of Odisha, Biju Patnaik.

• He began his political journey by winning the election from the Aska Lok Sabha constituency in his home district of Ganjam, marking the beginning of his successful leadership tenure.

Naveen Patnaik:

• In 1998, Naveen Patnaik joined the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Center as the Minister of Steel and Mines. However, he later decided to return to the state and contest the assembly elections in 2000.

• Under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has achieved an impressive record of being undefeated in all elections including Lok Sabha, Assembly and Panchayat elections.

• In 2000, Naveen Patnaik successfully formed a coalition government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha and became the 14th Chief Minister of the state on 5 March.

• One of the most significant challenges Naveen Patnaik faced was in 2009 when communal violence in Kandhamal ended his alliance with the BJP.

• In 2012, Naveen Patnaik faced an alleged political coup attempt organised by his advisor Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, which he successfully foiled.