BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who turns 73 on Tuesday, will not celebrate his birthday in view of the large-scale damage and human suffering caused due to cyclone ‘Titli’ and subsequent floods in several districts. Naveen was born on October 16, 1946 at Cuttack.
Announcing his decision on Monday, the Chief Minister wished the people on the occasion of Durga Puja but said his birthday should not be celebrated. He has also requested his well wishers, ruling BJD leaders and workers not to organise any function. Well wishers have been requested not to throng Naveen Nivas.
State secretary Bijay Nayak said a blood donation camp will be organised under the ‘Jeevan Bindu’ programme at the party headquarters to mark the occasion. Ministers, party MPs and MLAs will attend. This is not for the first time that Naveen has decided not to celebrate his birthday. Earlier, in 2013 and 2014 also, he had not celebrated his birthday due to Phailin and Hudhud cyclones.
Naveen had become the Chief Minister in 2000 when the State was yet to recover from the devastation caused by the 1999 Super Cyclone. He has not looked back since. He has led the BJD to four consecutive victories in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014 Assembly elections and is looking forward to a fifth term for the regional outfit in 2019 polls.
Credit also goes to Naveen for making BJD, a regional party, a success. Though many stalwarts in Odisha politics had formed regional parties, they were not successful. The uniqueness of BJD is that its tally in the Assembly has increased in each of the subsequent polls because of the growing popularity of Naveen.