Naveen stakes claim for government formation in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, May 26 (IANS) Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik on Sunday met Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and staked claim to form a government for a fifth consecutive time in the state.Patnaik was on Sunday elected the BJD legislature party leader by the newly elected MLAs at a meeting held at the party headquarters here."The honourable MLAs have elected me as their leader. I am very grateful to them," said the Chief Minister, who will be sworn in for a fifth consecutive term on May 29.The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Exhibition Ground here.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 has become the main opposition party by winning 23 seats. The Congress got only nine seats.
--IANS cd/ksk/mr