Bhubaneswar: An author, a connoisseur of art, a canny politician whose calm visage masks the ruthlessness he is capable of while dealing with rivals and mutinous partymen--traits hard to find in one man. That's Naveen Patnaik, once a reluctant inheritor of the legacy of his legendary father and former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik. Patnaik Jr. took over the mantle of his father as a novice upon his death in 1997. A little over two decades down the line, the once reluctant politician is all set to resume the reins of power for the 5th consecutive term, having led the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to yet another emphatic victory.

Already the longest-serving chief minister of Odisha, having assumed office in the year 2000, Patnaik has weathered many a controversy--from chit fund scams to mining scandals-- but remained the foremost leader of the regional outfit he heads. Patnaik's image of a "clean and honest" politician is widely regarded as the reason why he was able to to withstand a spirited challenge thrown by the BJP, analysts say of perhaps the lone regional satrap who cannot even properly speak the language of his native state. He had his baptism in politics when he became a Lok Sabha member from Aska seat represented by his father in a by-election in 1997. A year later the Janata Dal split and Patnaik floated the regional outfit named after his famous father. He forged an alliance with the BJP and became a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet in 1998. He was re-elected from Aska in 1998 and 1999 as parliamentary elections were held in quick succession amid political instability.