Four-time MLA and tribal leader from Keonjhar district Mohan Charan Majhi was on Wednesday sworn in as the first BJP chief minister of Odisha at a ceremony here attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and chief ministers.
Senior BJP leader and Patnagarh MLA KV Singh Deo and debutant from Nimapara assembly segment Pravati Parida took oath as deputy chief ministers.
Governor Raghubar Das administered the oath of secrecy and office to 52-year-old Majhi, who hails from the Santhal community, and other members of his council of ministers at Janata Maidan here.
This is the first time that a BJP government has been formed in the eastern state after defeating the 24-year-old Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government headed by Naveen Patnaik.
In a post on X, Modi said, "It’s a historic day in Odisha! With the blessings of my sisters and brothers of Odisha, @BJP4Odisha is forming its first-ever government in the state. I attended the swearing-in ceremony in Bhubaneswar." "Congratulations to Shri Mohan Charan Majhi on taking oath as CM and to Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo as well as Smt. Pravati Parida on taking oath as Deputy CMs. Congratulations also to the others who took oath as Ministers. With the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, I am confident this team will usher in record development in Odisha and improve the lives of countless people," he added.
Apart from Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Bhupender Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram, Ashwini Vaishnaw and others attended the ceremony.
Several chief ministers of BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Uttarakhand were also present. Odisha’s former chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik also attended the ceremony.
The 16-member council of ministers led by Chief Minister Majhi includes a diverse group with four tribals, including Majhi himself, two Dalits, and one woman.
Majhi’s council of ministers includes two deputy chief ministers, eight cabinet ministers, and five ministers of state (independent charge).
Suresh Pujari, Rabinarayan Naik, Nityananda Gond, Krushna Chandra Patra, Prithiviraj Harichandan, Mukesh Mahaling, Bibhuti Bhusan Jena and Krushna Chandra Mohapatra took oath as Cabinet ministers.
Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Suryabanshi Suraj, Pradeep Balasananta, Gokula Nanda Mallick and Sampad Kumar Swain were sworn in as ministers of state (independent).
Among the 78 BJP members elected to the Assembly, only five are women. Sources indicated that Surama Padhy, who was elected from Ranpur in Nayagarh district, is expected to become the Speaker of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly.
The ministers hail from various regions across the state - four are from the western region, three, including the chief minister, are from the northern region, four from the coastal belt, three from the southern region, and one from central Odisha.
BJP for the first time got a clear mandate in Odisha, ending the 24-year stint of the BJD.
The saffron party stormed to power in Odisha by securing 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly while Patnaik-led BJD got 51 seats, Congress (14), CPI(M) won in one seat while Independents got three.