Bhubaneswar, Oct 16: Birthday greetings flooded social media as Naveen Patnaik, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly and president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), celebrated his 79th birthday on Wednesday.

Patnaik, regarded as one of Odisha's most influential political figures, served as the state’s Chief Minister for an unbroken 24 years, from 2000 to 2024.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy extended their wishes for the veteran leader’s good health on X (formerly Twitter).

Born on October 16, 1946, in Cuttack to Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik, Naveen Patnaik is the founder of the BJD. His father, a prominent freedom fighter and politician, served two terms as Odisha's Chief Minister (1961–62 and 1990–95).

Naveen earned a BA from the University of Delhi in 1967 and initially pursued a career as a writer, living abroad for many years. His entry into politics was unplanned; he returned to India following his father's death in 1997.

In June 1997, he won a Lok Sabha by-election as a member of the Janata Dal (JD). Later, he joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and served as Minister of Steel and Mines.

In 2000, the BJD, in coalition with the BJP, swept the Odisha Assembly elections, ending the Congress party’s dominance. Patnaik subsequently resigned from his national posts to become Odisha’s Chief Minister, marking the beginning of his remarkable two-decade-long tenure.

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