Cabinet 2.0: Meet Pratap Sarangi - "Odisha's Modi " Who Lives In A Mud House

In his election affidavit, Sarangi declared moveable assets of Rs 1.5 lakh and immovable assets of Rs 15 lakh. As declared, his sources of income are pension and agriculture.

New Delhi: As the nation glued to their television screens on Thursday evening to witness the oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet ministers, 64-year-old Pratap Chandra Sarangi, who is a first-time MP from Balasore in Odisha, stole limelight with his unkempt hair, beard, a very simple persona and a huge round of applause from 6,000 people.   He made rounds on social media after images of him leaving his house which was made of sand and bamboo sticks, for the oath taking ceremony in Delhi. He also carried a jhola on his shoulder. Sarangi, who has served as president of the Odisha Bajrang Dal unit, was previously a senior member of the state VHP unit. He defeated two of richest candidates in the state. In his election affidavit, Sarangi declared moveable assets of Rs 1.5 lakh and immovable assets of Rs 15 lakh. As declared, his sources of income are pension and agriculture. Speaking on his victory a day after swearing-in ceremony, he said “I am fortunate that PM Modi has placed his trust in me & I consider politics as a medium to serve the nation. Our party stands for - nation first, party second and self last. I will try my best to win the trust of Modi ji and common people”.

Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi: I am fortunate that PM Modi has placed his trust in me & I consider politics as a medium to serve the nation. Our party stands for - nation first, party second and self last. I will try my best to win the trust of Modi ji & common people. pic.twitter.com/dtAKHGfIoS

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

He has also been deeply involved in local protests, such as anti-liquor movements and education and he had opened Samrkara Kendras in tribal villages under the Gana Shiksha Mandir Yojana in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts. He won with a tight contest by 12,956 votes.