Mohan Charan Majhi to take oath as Odisha CM today; PM Modi to attend, Naveen Patnaik invited

Mohan Charan Majhi, four-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from the Keonjhar constituency, is all set to take oath as the chief minister of Odisha today at around 5 pm. Along with Majhi, Kanak Vardhan Singh and Pravati Parida will also take oath as his deputies.

While Kanak Vardhan Singh won the assembly polls from Patnagarh, Pravati Parida bagged the Nimapara assembly seat. Mohan Charan Majhi's oath taking ceremony will take place at the Janata Maidan. All the Odisha government offices in Bhubaneswar will remain closed from 1 pm today in view of the oath-taking ceremony.  

Mohan Charan Majhi elected as Odisha CM

On Tuesday, Mohan Majhi was elected as the Odisha CM-designate at the BJP Legislature Party meeting, attended by Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav. Majhi won from the Keonjhar assembly seat with a margin of over 11,000 votes, defeating Biju Janata Dal (BJD)'s Mina Majhi and Congress' Prativa Manjari Naik. 

Addressing the media after his selection as the Odisha CM, Majhi said that the government of the past 24 years has been changed and the BJP will work for the development of Odisha.

"The government of the past 24 years has been changed. We will try to fulfil the belief that the people have shown in the BJP for the fulfillment of their dreams and for the development of Odisha. I promise to make Odisha the number one state in the country," he said. 

PM Modi to attend oath taking ceremony, Naveen Patnaik invited

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mohan Charan Majhi. After attending Chandrababu Naidu's swearing-in ceremony, Modi is expected to take off for Bhubaneswar at around 12:45 pm. He is expected to arrive at the Bhubaneswar Airport at around 2:30 pm and proceed to Raj Bhavan from the airport, India Today reported citing BJP sources. 

Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are also expected to attend Majhi's oath taking ceremony. The BJP has also invited former Odisha CM and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik for the oath taking ceremony. Besides VVIPs, around 30,000 people are expected to attend the oath taking ceremony. 

Mohan Charan Majhi-- the first tribal CM of Odisha

With this, Majhi is the first person from the tribal-dominated Keonjhar district to become the Chief Minister. Appointing Mohan Charan Majhi as Odisha CM is also being seen as a strategic move as Odisha's population comprises around 23 per cent tribals. BJP MLA Suryabanshi Suraj said Majhi is a 4-time MLA and belongs to the ST community.

He added that Odisha's CM will be someone who speaks Odia and understands Odia pride. 

"Keonjhar is mineral-rich and he belongs to Keonjhar. Odisha will develop. Odisha's CM will be someone who speaks Odia, understands Odia pride and someone who has the blessings of Lord Jagannath," Suraj said.