Naveen Patnaik - Political Career

Political Career

Patnaik is a writer and had for most part of his youth been away from both politics and Orissa, but after his father Biju Patnaik's demise, he entered politics in 1997 and a year later founded the Biju Janata Dal named after Biju Patnaik which won the state election with the BJP as its alliance and formed the government in which Patnaik became Chief Minister. His mild mannerism, stand against corruption and "pro-poor policies" have resulted in the development of a huge support base in Orissa, which has voted him to power in the last three consecutive terms. Like his father he had managed to control the greedy bureaucracy and have transformed it to a machine for the development of the state.

After the death of his father Biju Patnaik, leader of the Janata Dal, he was elected as a member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska Parliamentary Constituency in Orissa, India. He was a member of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel & Mines, Member of Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member Library Committee of Parliament. A year later the Janta Dal split and Patnaik founded the Biju Janta Dal which in alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) performed well and Patnaik was selected the Union Minister for Mines in the cabinet of A.B.Vajpayee. However, as the BJD won the majority of seats in alliance with the BJP in the Orissa Assembly elections, Patnaik resigned from the Union cabinet and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Orissa in 2000.