Naveen Patnaik stakes claim for government formation in Odisha

Naveen Patnaik was on Sunday elected the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislature party leader by the newly elected MLAs at a meeting held at the party headquarters here.

"The honourable MLAs have elected me as their leader. I am very grateful to them," said the Chief Minister, who will be sworn in for a fifth consecutive term on May 29.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held 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 of the 146 assembly seats in the recently concluded assembly polls.

"After being satisfied that BJD commands majority, the Hon'ble Governor extended invitation to Naveen Patnaik to form the new government," a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said.

Patnaik called on the Governor after he was elected as the leader of BJD's legislature party for the fifth time in a row and furnished the list of 112 elected party MLAs, official sources said.

Patnaik, who led the party to an emphatic victory in the Odisha assembly elections, is scheduled to be sworn in as the chief minister for a record fifth consecutive term on May 29.

The state has 147 assembly segments but polling in Patkura was postponed twice following the death of a candidate and then due to cyclone Fani.