The BJP has ended speculations around the Chief Minister's post with the announcement of Keonjhar Sadar MLA Mohan Charan Majhi's name for the top state government post. Along with him, Nimapara MLA Pravati Parida and Patnagarh representative Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo will take oath with him as Odisha's Deputy Chief Ministers. Pravati Parida will be Odisha's first woman Deputy CM.


The BJP has come to power in the state for the first time with a big victory of 78 seats in the 147-member assembly. Naveen Patnaik's 24-year rule ended after his BJD lost majority for the first time and managed to win only 58 seats.


Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, after a meeting of BJP MLAs, announced on Tuesday that Mohan Charan Majhi (52) has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislative party. KV Singh Deo and Parvati Parida have been made deputy chief ministers. "It has been decided that two Deputy Chief Ministers will be designated to head the new State Government. Shri KV Singh Deo and Smt. Pravati Parida will serve the state as Deputy Chief Minister. Congratulations to them," he posted on X.






No other Cabinet portfolio has been decided yet. BJP MLA Laxman Bag, who defeated Naveen Patnaik in the Kantabanji contest said: Yesterday, Mohan Charan Majhi's name was chosen for the new CM and Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida for the new Deputy CMs. No other names for the cabinet were decided in the meeting yesterday. We hope that under the leadership of the new CM and Deputy CMs, Odisha will see new developments. I will fulfil the responsibility given to me by the party...I am not demanding any portfolio, I will accept whatever is given to me..."






With the announcement of Pravati Parida's name, the BJP has scripted history as she will be the first woman to sit on the Deputy CM's chair in Odisha. Here are five things to know about Pravati Parida.


Parvati Parida — Deputy CM On First Win After 3 Losses



  • Pravati Parida won Puri's Nimapara Assembly seat.


  • Parvati Parida was born in 1967. She is a social worker.

  • Pravati Parida won the Nimapara seat in Puri by a margin of 4,588 votes against BJD leader Dilip Kumar Nayak.


  • In 1995, Pravati Parida obtained an LLB degree from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar. Apart from this, she obtained an MA degree in Public Administration from the same university in 2005.


  • She worked as a lawyer at the Odisha High Court for some time after she enrolled as an advocate in 1995. She was married to former government employee Shyam Sundar Nayak. 


  • Parvati Parida has become MLA for the first time from Nimapara seat. This is the fourth time she contested the seat. Earlier in 2014 and 2019, she had to face defeat against BJD's Samir Ranjan Dash. She contested from Nimapara in 2009 as well, but got only 4.52% of the votes.


  • In her election affidavit, she declared nine criminal cases pending against her. However, she has not been convicted in any case.


Mohan Charan Majhi, KV Singh Deo, and Pravati Parida will take oath at the Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.