Odisha: After 24 years under BJD’s Naveen Patnaik, Odisha will have a new chief minister as the BJP names Mohan Majhi for the position. Mr. Majhi will take the oath of office tomorrow.
Here are five key points about Mohan Majhi:
- Born in Raikala village, Keonjhar district, Mr. Majhi is the son of a security guard.
- He served as village head from 1997 to 2000 and was the general secretary of the BJP’s Odisha ST (Scheduled Tribes) Morcha before becoming an MLA from Keonjhar in 2000.
- The 52-year-old, who holds a law degree, has won his seat four times, including the latest Assembly elections, with a vote margin of 11,577.
- Known for his strong tribal voice and organizational skills, he was also the chief whip in the outgoing Odisha legislative assembly.
- In his first statement after being named chief minister, Mr. Majhi expressed gratitude: “Due to the blessings of Lord Jagannath, the BJP achieved a majority in Odisha and is going to form the government. I thank the 4.5 crore Odias who voted for change.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Odisha’s new Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, on Wednesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ended the 24-year rule of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Naveen Patnaik. Majhi, a four-time MLA and prominent tribal leader, is taking over following senior state leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram joining the Union government. The party has also chosen KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida as Deputy Chief Ministers.
Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal announced, “PM Modi will arrive on June 12 at 2:30 pm for the oath-taking ceremony, which will take place at 5:00 pm.”