Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik Saturday returned to Bhubaneswar after recovering from his spine surgery for cervical arthritis in Mumbai.
Patnaik’s special flight landed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at about 2pm. He returned to Odisha after 21 days, said BJD senior vice president Debi Prasad Mishra.
The former five-time Chief Minister of Odisha was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the party men and women, who gathered at the airport since morning. The Jai Jagannath slogan filled the air as Patnaik stepped out of the airport.
Holding placards and BJD flags, thousands of people stood on both sides of the road leading from the airport to Naveen Niwas, the residence of Patnaik, to welcome and greet their leader. He waved to the people at the airport.
Patnaik, the Leader of the Opposition in Odisha Assembly, had left for Mumbai June 20 and underwent spine surgery for cervical arthritis at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai June 22. He was shifted to a private room from the ICU after being kept under observation for two days and was discharged from the hospital July 7.
The surgery was conducted by Dr S Rajasekaran, an orthopaedic surgeon and chairman of Ganga Medical Center and Hospitals in Coimbatore.
In Patnaik’s absence, the BJD’s 15-member committee, led by vice-president Debi Mishra, was looking after party affairs in the state.
PTI
