June 18th 2024.
Bhubaneswar: It was a historic moment in the Odisha Assembly as BJD president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik encountered newly elected first-time BJP MLA Laxman Bag. The two came face-to-face after Patnaik had taken his oath as a member of the Assembly. Bag, who had defeated Patnaik in the recently concluded Assembly polls from the Kantabanji seat in Bolangir district, stood up from his seat to greet the veteran leader with folded hands.
"How are you?" Bag asked with a respectful tone. Patnaik, known for his calm and composed demeanor, responded with a smile, "Oh, you defeated me."
Accompanied by Aul MLA and former minister Pratap Keshari Deb, Patnaik congratulated Bag on his victory. The entire house, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his deputies KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, also stood up to greet Patnaik. After all, he had been an undisputed leader in the Assembly for 24 years.
The news of Patnaik's defeat had been a shock to many. Not only did he lose his Chief Minister's chair, which he had firmly held since 2000, but he also faced an unexpected defeat in Kantabanji, a seat he contested alongside his traditional Hinjili Assembly seat. In Hinjili, Patnaik managed to win by a narrow margin of 4,636 votes. However, in Kantabanji, BJP's Bag secured a victory with a significant lead of 16,334 votes, amassing a total of 90,876 votes compared to Patnaik's 74,532 votes.
Bag, 48, recalled his initial doubts about toppling a political titan like Patnaik. "The voters were silent throughout the campaign, but they voted for me," he recounted, still trying to come to terms with the magnitude of his victory. It was a defining moment for him and his party, one that would surely be remembered for a long time.
As the newly elected MLAs made their way into the Assembly building, many were seen prostrating themselves in a poignant display of respect and humility, underscoring the gravity and solemnity of the political shift that had just taken place. It was a significant moment in the history of Odisha politics, one that would shape the future of the state.
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