New Odisha CM: BJP leader Mohan Majhi will be the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of Odihsa as the 24-year-old tenure of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik ended following a massive defeat in the State Assembly elections. Mohan Charan Majhi won the Keonjhar seat with a margin of around 87,815 votes. He defeated BJD's Mina Majhi from the constituency.
Notably, the BJP had ruled the state as an alliance partner of the BJD in 2000 and 2004 and this is the first time that the party will form the government on its own in Odisha.
Who are Deputy CMs?
Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida will be the next Odisha's Deputy Chief Ministers.
BJP leader Pravati Parida won the Nimapara Assembly constituency in Odisha by defeating BJD's Dillip Kumar Nayak with a margin of 4,588 votes.
The names were selected at the BJP legislature party meeting, which was attended by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav as observers.
The BJP achieved a comfortable majority in the 147-member Assembly by securing 78 seats. The party went to the elections under the leadership of Modi without naming a chief ministerial candidate. BJP won 78 seats in the Odisha Assembly Election 2024 with a vote share of 40.07 per cent. The BJP received 1,00,64,827 votes in the entire state. The saffron party won 23, 10 and 6 seats in the 2019, 2014 and 2009 Odisha Assembly elections.
Who is Mohan Charan Majhi?
Majhi, a prominent member of the tribal community, was first elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the Keonjhar constituency in 2000. He represented the Keonjhar twice during the years 2000 to 2009. Majhi was also elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Keonjhar in 2019.
Over his tenure as a four-time MLA, Majhi has earned a reputation for his dedicated public service and exceptional organizational skills. His commitment to his constituents and effective leadership have made him a respected figure in Odisha's political landscape
Swearing-in ceremony on June 12
The swearing-in ceremony for the first BJP government in Odisha has been scheduled for June 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the oath-taking ceremony at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar. The BJP has also invited BJD president and outgoing chief minister Naveen Patnaik for the swearing-in ceremony.
The first invitation card for the ceremony was, however, given to Lord Jagannath in Puri, and it was delivered at the 12th-century shrine by some newly elected MLAs.
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).
