The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party of Odisha will hold its first meeting to elect the chief minister for the state on Tuesday. The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
BJP's legislature party meeting will take place at 4:30 pm at the party's state headquarters, said Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, adding the new BJP government will take oath at 5 pm on June 12.
The party observers - Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav will attend the meeting.
Who are front runners for CM post?
Earlier, it was speculated that MP Dharmendra Pradhan is ahead in the race to become first BJP chief minister in Odisha but his prospects of assuming the role of CM appear dim following his induction into the Modi 3.0 government. Now, the attention shifted to Brajarajnagar MLA-elect Suresh Pujari, who returned from New Delhi on Monday.
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu's name is also in the air for the CM post.
In addition to Pujari, state BJP president Manmohan Samal, KV Singh, and Mohan Majhi are also contenders.
However, party leaders anticipate that the BJP leadership might unveil a surprise announcement, as seen in previous instances in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive in Bhubaneswar at 2:30 pm on June 12 and proceed to Raj Bhavan from the airport.
He will then head to Janata Maidan to attend the oath-taking ceremony, Sarangi said.
Nevertheless, comprehensive security arrangements are underway.
The Commissionerate Police has implemented stringent security measures for the event, with authorities at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) facilitating smooth VVIP movement.
Odisha declares half-day holiday in Bhubaneswar on June 12
The Odisha government 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.
According to a notification issued by the revenue and disaster management department, the order will apply to all state government offices and revenue and magisterial courts (executive) within the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
(With PTI inputs)
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