BJP MLA Mohan Charan Majhi met Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and staked a claim to form the new state government.
PTI
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Odisha Guv receives list of newly elected MLAs.
Credit: PTI Photo
With senior leaders like Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram and Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Union Council, BJP is likely to nominate its first Chief Minister of Odisha from the elected MLAs. While names of state veterans like Suresh Pujari and Jaynarayan Mishra are doing the rounds, a dark horse may not be ruled out yet.
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The Odisha government on Monday announced that all state government offices and courts in Bhubaneswar will close after 1 pm on June 12 due to the swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister and council of ministers.
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The BJP legislature party of Odisha will hold a meeting today to elect the chief minister of the state and the new government will take oath the next day, a senior party leader said.
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The BJP on Sunday appointed senior party leaders Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav as its central observers to oversee the election of the leader of its MLAs in the Odisha assembly, who will take oath as the state's next chief minister.
The party said in a statement that its parliamentary board picked Singh and Yadav, who was actively involved in the state assembly polls, for overseeing the meeting.
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Thanking the BJP government, the Sadhu's who are invited to attend the swearing in ceremony of CM for Odisha, they said that "BJP has Hindutva ideologies and that the party gives importance to Ram mandir, Jagannath mandir and Sadhus, as per local reports.
Credit: X/@Naveen_Odisha, X/@SamalManmohan7
Besides Manmohan Samal, four other senior BJP leaders — Suresh Pujari, Basant Panda, Nityananda Gond and Samir Mohanty — invited Naveen Patnaik for oath-ceremony.
A circular by the Odisha's Information and Public Relation Dept. stated, "In view of the Swearing-in Ceremony of Hon’ble CM, Odisha and Council of Ministers on 12th June, 2024, Odisha Govt has been pleased to declare that all the State Govt offices as well as the Revenue & Magisterial Courts (Executive) within the jurisdiction of the BMC, Bhubaneswar shall remain closed for half day on 12th June, 2024 after 1PM." The department also released a traffic advisory for the day that will see several senior politicians descend on Bhubaneswar.
State BJP president Manmohan Samal is considered one of the leading frontrunners for the CM’s post, even though he lost his own election from the Chandabali Assembly seat. Samal told reporters ahead of BJP's legislative party meeting, “The name will be unanimously decided in the presence of the central observers at the Legislature Party meeting. As state unit president, whatever was my duty, I have done with full sincerity. I took everyone along. I am sure the Parliamentary Board will decide an able person to lead the state."
Brajarajnagar MLA-elect Suresh Pujari is another strong contender for the CM post. An advocate and the former state BJP chief, Suresh Pujari, was elected from the Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency in western Odisha by a huge margin. This is his maiden Assembly poll win.
KV Singh Deo belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Patna (princely state), Bolangir. He was a cabinet minister in the Odisha government and ex state president of BJP Odisha unit. He was also the Cabinet Minister for Urban Development and Public Enterprise in Government of Odisha under Naveen Patnaik until Patnaik left National Democratic Alliance in 2009.
According to PTI, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, the BJP's Odisha in-charge, said experienced leaders led by observers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav will hold a discussion with the legislators to decide who will be Odisha's CM and who will be on his council of ministers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders and the party Chief Ministers will attend the swearing-in event of the party’s first CM and his ministers to be held at the Janta Maidan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
PM Modi is scheduled to hold a 1.5 km-long roadshow before reaching the swearing-in venue in order to thank the people for giving the first full majority to the BJP in the state.
Heat wave conditions may affect Modi's roadshow in the state tomorrow and the swearing-in ceremony, though the event is scheduled at 5 in the evening and government offices will stay shut after 1 pm.
"63 persons affected with sunstroke were admitted to various hospitals in Odisha yesterday...No deaths were reported yesterday...A total of 41 deaths have been reported due to heatstroke...We are telling people to be careful because heatwave conditions are persisting and it will continue to persist for the next 4-5 days..." said Director of Public Health Dr Nilakantha Mishra.
Union Ministers and BJP central observers Rajnath Singh & Bhupender Yadav are present at the meeting.
While BJP ponders over who to pick as the new CM of Odisha, it must also find a proper home for the new incumbent. This is because the out-going CM, Naveen Patnaik, during his 24-year tenure, operated from his personal home, Naveen Niwas, which effectively served as the Chief Minister's residence.
Four-time MLA Mohan Majhi, 53, belongs to the tribal community. He was first elected to the Odisha assembly from the Keonjhar seat in 2000 and has continued to represent the constituency. The son of a watchman, Majhi has been elected to the Odisha assembly on four occasions – 2000, 2004, 2019 and 2024.
Giving primacy to tribal and caste equations, BJP leaders picked Majhi from a list of six names, say reports.
The 52-year-old, born on January 6, 1972, has a graduation degree (BA). Official records show his profession as an "agriculturist".
He started his career as a teacher (guruji) at Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, a school run by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He entered politics when he became the village council chief (sarpanch) and served from 1997 to 2000.
Considered to be a loyal BJP member, he also has a strong RSS link and has extensively worked in the BJP's Odisha state unit. He is known as a firebrand tribal leader with strong organisational skills.
In 2023, Majhi was suspended from the Assembly for throwing non-boiled-whole dal at the Speaker's podium. Majhi and his MLA colleague Mukesh Mahaling refuted that they had thrown dal, but had only presented it to the Speaker.
The unique protest by Majhi and Mahaling was reportedly to highlight the alleged Rs 700-crore scam in the purchase of pulses for the mid-day-meal scheme.
BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said, "He (Majhi) is a leader of the grassroots level...This is not a Congress party there is no dynasty politics, we always choose the real leaders...BJP always believes in democracy."
BJP MP Rabindra Narayan Behera said, "I expect he (Mohan Charan Majhi) will work for everyone including women, tribal community in the state. The combination of Majhi ji and deputy CMs is a good one. Now, Odisha will become a developed state."
"In Odisha, PM Modi had spoken of a formula - someone born in Odisha, someone who has the knowledge of the language, culture, someone who has a vision of the development of Odisha will be the Chief Minister if BJP forms the government in the state. That has been fulfilled today. People blessed the BJP and it formed the government in the state. Mohan Majhi, a tribal face, was unanimously elected as the CM. Two Deputy CMs - Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida were also announced...We want to make Odisha the number 1 state. It is going to be one," said MP Pradeep Purohit.
Deputy CM-to-be Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said: "We will speak more after meeting the Governor. We have expressed gratitude to the public that 4.5 crore people of Odisha have brought BJP to power here. They trusted the words of PM Modi and gave us power. PM Modi has spoken about making Odisha the number 1 state and we will set that in motion..."
"We are going to the Raj Bhawan. There will be good governance in the state. People of Odisha have faith in Modi ji's guarantee," says BJP MLA Pravati Parida named Odisha Deputy Chief Minister.
ANI
'We are very happy. Everybody is very happy in the house. Have not got the chance to speak with sir yet,' says Odisha CM-designate Mohan Charan Majhi's wife Priyanka Marandi.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, one of BJP's central observers who oversaw the election of the legislative party chief, tweeted, "Delighted to announce that Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has been elected unanimously as the leader of Odisha BJP Legislature Party. He is a young and dynamic party karyakarta who will take the state forward on road to progress and prosperity as the new Chief Minister of Odisha."
He added, "Many congratulations to him. Also, it has been decided that two Deputy Chief Ministers will be designated to head the new State Government. Shri KV Singh Deo and Smt. Pravati Parida will serve the state as Deputy Chief Minister. Congratulations to them!"
Odisha has got a tribal chief minister after over 24 years. BJP leader Mohan Charan Majhi became the third tribal chief minister of Odisha after Giridhar Gamang and Hemananda Biswal of the Congress. Biswal, the first tribal to be at the helm of Odisha, was the chief minister twice.
"...this is how the BJP functions. Being a cadre-based party, BJP's central leadership gives importance to carry all the people along with them and I think, taking the right choice." He also says, "...I would like to thank the BJP Central Parliamentary Board along with the PM for having put their trust and faith in me and appointing me one of the Deputy CMs. All I would like to say is that we came to power with the agenda of Viksit Bharat. We will go among the people with the same agenda...Tomorrow, for the fist time, a BJP CM is going to take oath along with the two Deputy CMs. I don't think you will see it the last time..." said Deo, speaking to reporters after his selection.
Odisha Deputy CM-designate Pravati Parida said, "...Starting tomorrow, we will work one by one everything the Prime Minister told the Odia people, regarding Odia pride, regarding Lord Jagannath, regarding Jagannath temple. Our Govt will work for the poor, for youth, for women, for farmers...This is a party that gives extraordinary responsibilities to ordinary workers. I had never imagined that I would be given such a huge responsibility..."
VVIP BJP leaders expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Majhi include PM Modi, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, and Home Minister Amit Shah. Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav, who arrived today as central observers, will also remain in the state to witness the event.
"A lot of discussions go around but the party has decided that our entire team will work together to fulfil the expectations of the common people," said Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal after Mohan Charan Majhi was appointed as next CM of the state.
He added, "The government will function well...After the oath ceremony tomorrow, minute-to-minute programme will begin. We will fulfill the promises we made in the 'Sankalp Patra'...Tomorrow, ministers will also take oath... PM, Madhya Pradesh CM, Chhattisgarh CM, Union Minister Amit Shah are coming. Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav are already here. Several other Union Ministers are also coming. We will get to know more by tonight and tomorrow morning..."