Naveen Patnaik

Patnaik founded the Biju Janata Dal after splitting from the Janata Dal. The party was named after his father, former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik. This established his independent political base and launched his path to becoming chief minister.

As Union Minister for Steel and Mines, Patnaik was involved in the response to the devastating 1999 Odisha cyclone that killed over 10,000 people. The disaster shaped his later focus on disaster management as chief minister.

Patnaik's government established the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority and invested in cyclone shelters, early warning systems, and evacuation drills. This model dramatically reduced cyclone fatalities in subsequent storms, notably during Cyclone Phailin in 2013.

Patnaik took office as Chief Minister of Odisha for the first time after the BJD-BJP alliance won the state election. He succeeded the Congress government. This began his tenure as the longest-serving chief minister in Odisha's history.

Patnaik led the BJD to victory in the 2019 Odisha Legislative Assembly election, winning 112 out of 147 seats. He began his fifth consecutive term as chief minister, a record for Odisha and rare in Indian state politics.