TNI Bureau: In what can be a big loss for the BJD, party President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was defeated from the Kantabanji Assembly seat.
He was defeated by BJP candidate Laxman Bag by a margin of 16,321 votes. Laxman Bag received 90,594 votes while Naveen Patnaik received 74,273 votes. However, the Chief Minister won the Hinjili Assembly Constituency for the six consecutive times. Patnaik defeated BJP candidate Sisir Kumar Mishra by 4,636 votes – much lower margin as compared to 2019.
Naveen Patnaik, who remained the CM five times from 2000 to 2024, taste the loss of power for the first time in his 27 years of political career.
Since he joined politics in 1998, Naveen has never lost any election, be it Parliamentary or Assembly.