Odisha's Naveen Patnaik replaces West Bengal's Jyoti Basu as second-longest-serving CM in India
Bhubaneswar, Jul 22: Odisha's Naveen Patnaik on Saturday became the second-longest-serving chief minister in the country, replacing West Bengal's Jyoti Basu.
Former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling still holds the record of being the longest-serving CM in the country. He was the CM of the Himalayan state from December 12, 1994 till May 27, 2019 -- more than 24 years.
Patnaik, the five-time chief minister of Odisha, took charge on March 5, 2000, and holds the post for 23 years and 138 days.
Basu served as the chief minister of West Bengal from June 21, 1977 to November 5, 2000, which was 23 years and 137 days.
Patnaik is also the third leader after Chamling and Basu to become the chief minister of a state for five consecutive times. If the ruling BJD wins the 2024 elections, Patnaik will be the longest-serving chief minister in India.
BJD vice president Prasanna Acharya said, "We are happy that our chief minister has crossed the record of West Bengal's former CM Jyoti Basu. I am sure that Patnaik will break all the records of the past, and will emerge as the longest-serving CM."
Congress leader SS Saluja said, "We congratulate Naveen Patnaik for becoming the second-longest-serving CM, but we are pained that Patnaik is not doing anything during his term."
Senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari said history will not remember how long one serves as the chief minister, but how one creates history within a short span of time.
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Man arrested in UP's Auraiya for rape, murder of minor cousin on same day she tied rakhi on him
Auraiya: A 33-year-old man has been arrested in Auraiya for the alleged rape and murder of his 14-year-old cousin on the night of Raksha Bandhan, just hours after she had tied a rakhi on him.
According to police, the accused, identified as Surjeet, attempted to mislead investigators by staging the crime scene to look like a suicide. The incident occurred on Saturday night when Surjeet, reportedly in a state of heavy intoxication, went to his uncle's home where the victim lived. He is accused of sexually assaulting the sleeping teenager, killing her, and then hanging her body.
The victim's father discovered his daughter's body the next morning and alerted the authorities.
Officials immediately suspected foul play upon arriving at the scene. "Blood stains and other signs clearly indicated this was not suicide," stated Auraiya Superintendent of Police (SP), Abhijeet Shankar.
During the initial inquiry, Surjeet drew suspicion upon himself by aggressively answering questions that were intended for the victim's immediate family. A post-mortem examination subsequently confirmed that the minor had been sexually assaulted.
Following the forensic report, Surjeet was arrested. "He confessed to the crime during interrogation," SP Shankar confirmed.
