Bhubaneswar, May 29: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik was sworn in as the Odisha Chief Minister for a fifth consecutive term on Wednesday. Governor Ganeshi Lal will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Patnaik and his 20-member council of ministers. The new ministry is a mix of experienced and newly-elected legislators.

Out of the 11 cabinet and nine state rank ministers, ten new legislators have been included this time in the council of ministers. Six are among the legislators who retained their ministerial berths. Odisha Election Results 2019: BJD Wins in Both Assembly, Lok Sabha Seats, BJP Distant 2nd

The oath-taking ceremony was held at at the IDCO exhibition ground in Bhubaneswar at 10:30 AM.

At the swearing-in of Patnaik, nearly 7,000 people, including heads of top industries in Odisha, were present. Among those in attendance to witness his oath-taking ceremony included Patnaik's sister and prominent Indian writer-singer Gita Mehta.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Patnaik after he took oath to office. "Congratulations to Naveen Patnaik ji on taking oath as Odisha’s Chief Minister. Best wishes to him and his team in fulfilling the people’s aspirations. I assure complete cooperation from the Centre in working for Odisha’s progress," he said.

In the four-phased elections held between April 11-29, the ruling BJD ended up winning the trust of voters. Although Patnaik's numbers have been reduced, the main challenger BJP is still a distant second.

Out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, the BJD won 21 and the BJP 7. IN the 147-member assembly, Patnaik's 112 candidates have been elected, whereas, the BJP managed to win 25 seats.

Patnaik, 72, has been leading the eastern state as CM since 2000. His sudden entry into politics was marked by the death of his father BJD founder Biju Patnaik.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2019 11:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).