Naveen Patnaik's remarkable 24-year tenure as Chief Minister of Odisha came to an end today as he resigned, marking a significant political shift in the state. Patnaik submitted his resignation to Governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar following a major setback in the state assembly elections.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which had held power in Odisha for 27 years since its founding in 1997, faced a surprising defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP captured 78 of the 147 assembly seats, while the BJD secured only 51 seats, and the Congress won 14 seats.

In addition to their success in the state assembly elections, the BJP also dominated the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, winning 20 out of the 21 parliamentary seats.

Naveen Patnaik, who first entered state politics by winning a 1998 Lok Sabha by-election from the Aska constituency, rose to prominence after the BJD's victory in the 2000 assembly elections. He resigned from his Union Cabinet position to become Chief Minister, leading Odisha for nearly a quarter of a century. His long tenure made him the second longest-serving Chief Minister in India, after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim.