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Question 80 of 136 · Indian States & Union Territories
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The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), an Odisha-based political party, was founded on 26 December 1997 by:

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Answer: Option B — Naveen Patnaik

Detailed Solution

The Biju Janata Dal was founded on 26 December 1997 by Naveen Patnaik, the son of the former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, and named after his father.

Background:

Biju Patnaik was a freedom fighter, pilot and two-time Chief Minister of Odisha. He was a leading figure of the Janata Dal.

After his death in April 1997, his son Naveen Patnaik entered politics and won the Aska Lok Sabha by-election.

Later that year, Naveen Patnaik and his supporters broke away from the Janata Dal and formed the BJD.

BJD in power:

  • The BJD contested the 1998 Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP, and Naveen Patnaik became a Union Minister for Mines in the Vajpayee government.
  • In 2000, the BJD-BJP alliance won the Odisha Assembly election, and Naveen Patnaik became Chief Minister.
  • The BJD broke its alliance with the BJP in 2009 but continued to win elections on its own.
  • Naveen Patnaik served as Chief Minister continuously from March 2000 to June 2024, winning five consecutive assembly elections.
  • He is the second-longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state, after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim.

2024 election:

  • In the 2024 Odisha Assembly election, the BJP won a majority, and Mohan Charan Majhi became Chief Minister.
  • Naveen Patnaik became the Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly.

Symbol and governance:

  • The BJD's election symbol is the conch (shankha).
  • His government was noted for disaster management, especially the handling of cyclones such as Phailin (2013) and Fani (2019), and for schemes such as the KALIA scheme for farmers.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Biju Patnaik died before the BJD was founded; the party is named after him.

J.B. Patnaik (Janaki Ballabh Patnaik) was a Congress Chief Minister of Odisha.

Giridhar Gamang was also a Congress Chief Minister of Odisha.

Quick tip

Remember: BJD founded on 26 December 1997 by Naveen Patnaik, named after his father Biju Patnaik; CM from 2000 to 2024.

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Indian States & Union Territories — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Indian States & Union Territories, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers state-wise GK for India: capitals, formation dates, high courts, state animals, birds and flowers, famous places, and the culture, dances and festivals that identify each state and union territory. Questions commonly ask about the newest state or union territory, the state formed on a particular date, the capitals of states, and which high court serves more than one state. Keep a single table per state with its capital, formation year and key facts. Reorganisations such as that of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 change the answers, so make sure your notes are up to date. Practise the Indian states and union territories questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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