Naveen: from novice to history-scripting politician

Dismissed by critics as a political greenhorn over a decade ago, Naveen Patnaik with his 'Mr Clean' image scripted history becoming chief minister for the third consecutive term after steering his BJD to a landslide victory in the assembly elections in Orissa.

BJD, which parted ways with BJP-led NDA in March this year abruptly ending its 11-year alliance, went it alone in both the parliamentary and assembly elections and emerged victorious in 14 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats. The party swept to power in the state bagging 103 of the 147 assembly seats.

A reluctant entrant into politics, Patnaik plunged into public life in 1997 after his father, the charismatic Biju Patnaik, passed away, to lead the BJD to victory in the assembly elections in 2000 and 2004 in alliance with BJP.

What he proved after an acrimonious parting of ways with BJP in the backdrop of the riots in Kandhamal, was that BJD was a formidable political force on its own by sweeping both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, hands down.

When the legendary Biju died, heavyweights in the Janata Dal like Ashok Das, Nalinikanta Mohanty and Bijoy Mohapatra roped in Naveen to contest the by-poll to the Aska Lok Sabha seat. Naveen won the by-election and was made the president of the BJD, a regional outfit floated by Biju's followers after a split from the Janata Dal in December 1997.

Not many had anticipated then that the suave and soft-spoken leader would have such an influence on state politics. The BJD had been launched with an aim to forge ties with BJP, then on the upswing, to counter Congress in the polls. It worked very well as the BJD-BJP combine swept Lok Sabha polls in 1998, 1999 and 2004 and the assembly elections in 2000.

Naveen, a bachelor, constantly made endeavours to ensure Orissa's industrialisation with his government signing a series of MoUs with various companies for establishment of steel, aluminium and power projects worth over Rs six lakh crore.

Educated at the Doon School and Delhi University, there is another facet to the BJD supremo, who is associated with art, culture and ecology. He is one of the founder members of the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture (INTACH).

Patnaik has also authored books like 'A Second Paradise : Indian Country Life', 'A Desert Kingdom: The People of Bikaner' and 'Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India'.