Odisha Chief Minister-designate and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mohan Charan Majhi met outgoing CM Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday and invited him to the oath-taking ceremony of the state government, scheduled for later in the day. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik led Odisha for over 24 years until his party was voted out in the assembly election this year.
Earlier in the day, Majhi paid floral tributes at the statues of the state's icons in Bhubaneswar. Accompanied by deputy CM-designates K.V. Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Majhi visited the statues of Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das at Gopabandhu Square, Utkalgourav Madhusudan Das outside Raj Bhavan, Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo at Power House Square, and Parala Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Ramachandra Mardaraj Deo at A.G. Square, according to a PTI report.
He also garlanded the statues of Fakir Mohan Senapati at Vani Vihar Square, Dharanidhar Bhuyan at Mayfair Square, and Gangadhar Meher at Kalinga Hospital Square. Besides this, he paid tribute at the statue of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda at Maitri Vihar, the report added.
Union minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced Majhi to be the CM-designate for the BJP's first solo government in Odisha, and said six-time legislator Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, a debutant MLA, will serve as deputy CMs.
Security Arrangements For The Day
While speaking about the security arrangements, considering Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders will attend the oath-taking ceremony, Berhampur Superintendent of Police Sarthak Sarangi said the dignitaries will arrive at two terminals of the airport. There are 12 guests in total, of which 9 are CMs and 3 are central ministers. SP Sarangi stated, “Separate arrangements have been made for the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.”
The swearing-in ceremony of the Majhi government will be held at Janata Maidan in the capital, at 4.55 pm. Majhi is the third tribal Chief Minister of Odisha after the Congress's Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang. He kicked off his political career as a village sarpanch nearly three decades ago and hails from Raikala village in the tribal-dominated and mineral-rich Keonjhar district. He was elected to the assembly for the first time in 2000.