From correspondents in Orissa, India, 03:01 PM IST

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik is set to take oath Thursday as Orissa chief minister for the third term in a row.

Governor M.C. Bhadare Wednesday invited Patnaik to form the government after he was formally elected leader of the BJD legislature party Tuesday.

Patnaik, who met the governor, told reporters that the swearing-in ceremony would take place at 11.30 a.m. Thursday.

The BJD won 103 out of 147 seats in the state assembly and 14 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Orissa in the recently concluded polls.

The sweeping victory came as a surprise particularly after Patnaik split from his 11-year-old political ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over seat sharing. The BJD-BJP combine, which broke a month ahead of the elections, had ruled the state for two consecutive terms.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)