Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has picked Mohan Majhi, an MLA from Keonjhar Sadar Assembly Constituency, as the new Chief Minister of Odisha.
It was decided unanimously by the BJP legislature party meeting held at party State headquarters in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Union Minister Rajnath and senior leader Bhupendra Yadav.
Following the declaration, Majhi paid his obeisance to Lord Jagannath. He thanked the 4.5 crore people of Odisha who brought the change in power in Odisha.
He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, central observers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav, and state BJP chief Manmohan Samal for ensuring the formation of the first BJP government in Odisha.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the name of Majhi after the meeting of the BJP Legislature party.
“Delighted to announce that Shri Mohan Charan Manjhi has been elected unanimously as the leader of Odisha BJP Legislature Party. He is a young and dynamic party karyakarta who will take the state forward on road to progress and prosperity as the new Chief Minister of Odisha. Many congratulations to him,” Rajnath Singh posted on X.
Majhi, a four-time MLA from Keonjhar, is the key tribal of the BJP. The 53-year-old Majhi will succeed Naveen Patnaik as the 15th chief minister of the State. He was the Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Assembly in the Naveen Patnaik-led government between 2019 and 2024.
Majhi won the Keonjhar assembly seat in the just concluded assembly elections, defeating BJD’s Mina Majhi by over 11,000 votes.
The meeting also chose Patnagarh MLA KV Singh Deo and Nimapara MLA Pravati Parida as the deputy chief ministers of the State.
Singh Deo has been elected to the State Assembly for six times from Patnagarh while Pravati is a first-timer.
The BJP secured a comfortable majority in the 147-member Assembly by earning 78 seats in the just concluded polls.
