23 years, 139 days: Naveen Patnaik now country’s 2nd-longest serving CM after Chamling | India News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: On a day Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik surpassed former West Bengal CM Jyoti Basu’s record of being the second longest-serving CM in the country, Patnaik asserted that “the story of BJD is synonymous with the transformation of the state” and asked his party colleagues to raise their voice for 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assembly.

Addressing a meeting of BJD’s women workers, Naveen said women empowerment is something very close to his heart. “While women are empowered at the grassroots level, they are less visible at the state and national levels. We must raise our voice for one-third reservation in Parliament and assembly constituencies,” he said.
Stating that women empowerment is not a mere slogan but a mantra of our development, Naveen said, “BJD will continue to fight for women’s rights from villages to Parliament.”

The 76-year-old bachelor CM asked his party colleagues to take the message of development and women’s empowerment to people, to every household. “Be with people, serve the people and be an agent of transformation of our great state,” he told them.
Naveen first took oath as CM on March 5, 2000, and has been governing Odisha for past 23 years and 139 days. His tenure is the second longest as CM after former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling. Chamling governed Sikkim for 24 years and 166 days.