Bhubaneswar: BJP’s tribal leader and four-time MLA, Mohan Charan Majhi, has been announced as the new Chief Minister of Odisha. This marks the first time the BJP has secured a clear mandate in the state, ending the 24-year tenure of the BJD.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh announced Majhi’s selection, a surprising choice, during a Tuesday announcement. Alongside Majhi, KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida have been appointed as deputy chief ministers.
The BJP legislature party meeting saw unanimous support for the 52-year-old Majhi as its leader, with Singh and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav present as central observers. Majhi succeeds Naveen Patnaik, the long-standing BJD leader.
Majhi, previously the chief whip of the BJP in the assembly, was re-elected for a fourth term after defeating Mina Majhi of the BJD in the Keonjhar assembly constituency. The newly elected leader will swear-in on Wednesday. PM Modi and senior BJP leaders likely to attend the ceremony.
In the recent elections, the BJP secured 78 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, while the BJD won 51 seats.
The BJP and BJD had a longstanding alliance from 1998 to 2009, contesting three Lok Sabha and two Assembly elections together. However, Patnaik broke off the alliance ahead of the 2009 general elections following a riot in Kandhamal the previous year.