Bhubaneswar: Mohan Charan Majhi, a prominent tribal leader from the BJP, has been appointed as the 15th Chief Minister of Odisha.
Majhi, who began his political career as a village sarpanch nearly three decades ago, hails from Raikala village in the tribal-dominated and mineral-rich Keonjhar district.
At 52, he is the son of a watchman and has been elected to the Odisha assembly four times: in 2000, 2004, 2019, and 2024.
Majhi, a graduate, served as the village head from 1997 to 2000 and was the secretary of the BJP’s Adivasi Morcha before being elected as an MLA from Keonjhar in 2000.
In the 2024 assembly elections, he retained the Keonjhar seat by defeating BJD’s Mina Majhi. In the previous Odisha assembly, he was the opposition chief whip, challenging the BJD government on several key issues.
In his first statement after being named Chief Minister, Majhi attributed the BJP’s majority in Odisha to the blessings of Lord Jagannath and expressed gratitude to the 4.5 crore Odias who voted for change. He assured that the BJP would honour the trust of the people of Odisha.
The BJP achieved a historic victory, securing 78 out of the 147 assembly seats and marking a significant political shift in the state.
