Odisha: Naveen Patnaik chosen leader of BJD legislative party, meets Governor

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik on Sunday met Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal and staked claim to form a government in the state for a fifth consecutive time.

Patnaik`s meeting with the Governor took place after newly elected BJD MLAs held a meeting in the state capital and elected the former as their leader.

Speaking to media, Patnaik said, "MLAs of BJD have elected me as the leader of their legislature party.

I am very grateful to them and I am now going to see the Governor.

"He also said that party MPs have been told to take "Odisha`s demands forward and work hard for the people".

Earlier in the day, newly elected BJD MPs also met with Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.BJD put up a tough fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and managed to retain 12 of the 21 seats in the state.

Patnaik won from two Assembly segments, Hinjili under the Aska Lok Sabha seat in southern Odisha and Bijapur in the Bargarh Lok Sabha seat in western Odisha. While BJP won 8 seats in the state, one went to the Indian National Congress (INC).

The parliamentary elections saw stalwarts such as BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra being defeated by BJD`s sitting MP Pinaki Misra from the Puri parliamentary constituency. Patnaik`s party was able to contain the BJP, although it could not stop the national party from making inroads into its bastion.

Elections for the 147 seats in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats were held simultaneously in the state.