Odisha Assembly Election 2019: After Biju Janata Dal (BJD) swept the Assembly Elections 2019 which was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha Polls in Odisha, Governor Ganeshi Lal on Sunday invited party president Naveen Patnaik to form the next government in the state. The BJD chief had staked claim to form the government earlier in the day. The BJD won 112 of the 146 assembly seats in the recently concluded assembly polls. “After being satisfied that BJD commands majority, the Honourable Governor extended invitation to Naveen Patnaik to form the new government,” a Raj Bhavan spokesperson told news agency PTI.


Patnaik was on Sunday elected the BJD legislature party leader by the newly elected MLAs at a meeting held at the party headquarters Odisha. “The honourable MLAs have elected me as their leader. I am very grateful to them,” said the Odisha Chief Minister 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.

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 seats in the 147-member House. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become the main opposition party by winning 23 seats. The Congress got only nine seats.

Patnaik had on Friday tendered his resignation and that of his council of ministers to pave the way for the formation of the new government in the state. The state cabinet had on May 18 recommended dissolution of the 15th Odisha Legislative Assembly. The state assembly which was formed on June 12, 2014, will complete its term on June 11, 2019.