Bhubaneswar, March 17 (IANS): Following the announcement of the election schedule on Saturday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik exuded confidence of returning to power for a record sixth time in a row.

According to the announcement made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday, Odisha will vote for the 224-member state Assembly alongside the 21 Lok Sabha seats in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

During his speech at the last Cabinet meeting of the present state government, CM Patnaik said, “In a few months, the people of Odisha are going to create a new record. I always feel profoundly blessed and humbled by the intense faith of the people, which also inspires me to work harder.”

“On May 29, 2019, we had the first Cabinet meeting after the elections where the manifesto was approved as the government’s priority. Today, as we sit for the last Cabinet meeting of this term, I express my gratitude to the people of Odisha for repeatedly reposing their faith (in me). I feel blessed to have been chosen to serve the four-and-a-half crore people of Odisha,” he added.

Patnaik also said that he was guided by the vision of (his father) Biju Patnaik to overcome the challenges and bring back development on the track in Odisha.

The state was praised by the international media for its disaster management efforts during Cyclone Fani, a rare summer cyclone that occurred after 43 years in 2019.

“Unfortunately, in early 2020, the world was hit by the Covid pandemic. For the next two years till 2022, the virus, in its multiple variants, caused immense damage to economies across the globe. But despite the unknown fear, Odisha was comparatively well-prepared and emerged as a model state in Covid management, as per a study by the John Hopkins University,” the CM said.

He also narrated his government’s achievements in the fields of women's empowerment, tribal welfare, sports, flagship schemes, etc.