Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik Biography

Naveen Patnaik is an Indian politician and serves as the Chief Minister of Orissa. He is the president of the Biju Janata Dal party in Orissa. He was born on 16^th October 1946 in Cuttack in Orissa. His parents are Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik. He started his schooling at Welham Boys School at Dehradun and later studied at Doon School. After obtaining his Senior Cambridge Certificate at the age of 17, he joined St. Stephen’s College of Delhi University and got his Bachelor’s Degree in Arts. He remains a bachelor in his life. He has one elder brother Prem Patnaik who is a Delhi based businessman and one sister Gita Mehta, the renowned author.

He is a writer and stayed away from politics until the death of his father Biju Patnaik. After a year of his father’s death he founded Biju Janata Dal. He formed alliance with BJP and faced the state election in which he won and became the Chief Minister of Orissa. He is in power for three consecutive terms. He stands against corruption which gave him a huge support base.

He entered politics in 1996 and was elected as the member of the 11^th Lok Sabha in the by-election of Aska Constituency. He was the member of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel and Mines, Member of Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member of Library Committee of Parliament. When Janata Dal split, he founded Biju Janata Dal and formed alliance with BJP and served as the Union Minister of Mines in Vajpayee’s cabinet.

He got a notorious victory in the 2004 state assembly elections. The alliance broke off in the 2009 elections. However his party could win with a massive victory of 14 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats and 103 out of 147 assembly seats in the 2009 elections and he became the Chief Minister of Orissa on 21^st May 2009.

He is the founder member of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. He has written three books, A Second Paradise: Indian Country Life 1590 – 1947, A Desert Kingdom: The people of Bikaner and the Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India. All these books were published in India, England and U. S.

Published: N/A

Updated: September 23, 2017