Bhubaneswar: If the BJD has been ruling Odisha uninterrupted for more than 17 years now, a huge part of the credit should go to the enormous popularity that the late Biju Patnaik - after whom the party is named - still enjoys among the people of Odisha.

The legacy of the legendary leader, the father of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, will be in focus when dignitaries including former president Pranab Mukherjee gather in here on Saturday for the release of " The Tall Man: Biju Patnaik" a biographical work by Sundar Ganesan at an event to be presided over by Naveen himself.

The guest list itself is indicative of the late leader's political appeal that cuts across party lines. Sharing the dais with Mukherjee will be former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, former deputy prime minister and BJP veteran L.K. Advani and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Twice the chief minister of Odisha - from 1961 to 1963 at the head of a Congress government and again from 1990 to 1995 when he led a Janata Dal ministry - Biju babu was a man of many parts. A freedom fighter, industrialist and ace pilot, he was close to India's first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

While as a member of the Royal Indian Air Force during the British rule, he helped the leaders of Indian freedom movement carrying out secret missions for them including distribution of nationalist literature among the Indian troops, he played a major role in the Indonesian freedom movement as well. Indonesia acknowledged his contribution by honouring him with Bhoomi Putra, the highest award of the country. The Dakota in which Biju rescued top Indonesian leaders in 1947 outfoxing the Dutch, who then controlled the Indonesian air and sea routes, continues to remind admirers of his bravery and flying skills.

Biju was a visionary who realised the importance of putting up quality infrastructure to develop Odisha into a state that could compete with the best in the country. The man who set up Kalinga Tubes and Kalinga Airlines to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship also ensured that Odisha got a major port at Paradip. He also set up the Kalinga prize to popularise science.

Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya, who was part of the Janata Dal ministry led by Biju babu in the 1990s, found his style of conducting politics unique. "He was more of a statesman than politician. The ups and downs of his political career hardly bothered him as he took both victory and defeat in his stride. He was a visionary who was far ahead of his times. When he decided to reserve seats in panchayati raj institutions for women, many could not believe him. Yet, he stuck to it as he could see the future," said Acharya.