Mohan Charan Majhi Swearing-in Ceremony Live Updates: Mohan Charan Majhi takes oath as Odisha’s first BJP CM; KV Singh Deo, Pravati Parida sworn-in as deputies

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including Suresh Pujari, Rabinarayan Naik, Nityananda Gond, and Krushna Chandra Patra took oath as ministers under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi-led cabinet in Odisha in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at Janata Maidan in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Mohan Charan Majhi also took oath as the Chief Minister of the state in the first BJP government formed in Odisha. Along with Majhi, two deputy Chief Ministers -- Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida were also sworn in. Pravati Parida has become the first woman deputy chief minister of the state. Eight ministers and five ministers of state (independent charge) also took oath of office today.

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das administered the oath to the first BJP Chief Minister of the state along with the deputies.

As Patnaik bows out after an unprecedented 24-year reign as head of the party and as Chief Minister, amid swirling questions about the future of the party and its leadership, the 77-year-old has been gracious in defeat.

Over the last few days since the BJD’s loss, outgoing CM Patnaik has been meeting a steady stream of party candidates — both winners and those who lost — gamely posing with them for selfies, “motivating them not to get discouraged” and assuring them that he would be around for them.

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Till last week, he was the most sought-after individual in Odisha’s power corridors, giving TV interviews, taking helicopters to canvass for Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidates, and assisting Naveen Patnaik as he aimed to return to power for the sixth straight term. But by Sunday, V K Pandian was gone.

On Sunday, five days after the BJD suffered the twin debacle in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls — without any parliamentary seat and reduced to 51 out of 147 in the Assembly polls — the former IAS officer who rose to become Patnaik’s longtime confidant announced that he was quitting active politics less than seven months after he made his entry into politics. Amid growing criticism from within the BJD over his “excessive influence” on party decisions in the run-up to the polls, Pandian apologised to party workers.

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As Odisha enters a new era of politics and governance after almost a quarter of a century under Naveen Patnaik, the BJP will look to meet the hopes and expectations of the people of a state that not only gave the party its first government in the East but also 20 MPs — four more than its largest NDA ally TDP — to the Narendra Modi government. And for the job, the party has picked Mohan Charan Majhi who will take oath as Chief Minister at a grand event in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

The announcement of the new CM took one week to come after the results of the simultaneous elections in the state, possibly an indication of the careful deliberations that must have gone into picking a leader who would not only shoulder the expectations of the people but be an effective component in the BJP’s larger double-engine mechanism.

Majhi fits the bill, almost. Read more here

The BJP’s decision to pick a tribal face as its Chief Minister in Odisha is being seen as an attempt by the party to consolidate its support base among the tribals, who comprise around 23% of state’s population.

During its Assembly election campaign, the BJP raised the issue of Odia Asmita (pride) as its main agenda. In the June 4 results, the BJP bagged 78 out of 147 seats, while the former CM Naveen Patnaik-led BJD was reduced to 51 seats. Three Independent MLAs extended support to the BJP, taking their strength to 81.

The 52-year-old Mohan Charan Majhi, seen as a leader who has risen from the grassroots, was unanimously elected as the BJP Legislature Party leader at a meeting held in the presence of Union Ministers and party observers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav Tuesday.

Majhi will be the third tribal Chief Minister of Odisha after Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang, both from Congress. Parida will be the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Beginning his political career as a village sarpanch in 1997, Majhi was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 2000 from Keonjhar. He was re-elected from the seat in 2004 and became the deputy chief whip from 2005 to 2009 in the BJD-BJP coalition government. After losing elections in 2009 and 2014, Majhi was again elected from the seat in 2019 and retained it in 2024. In the previous Assembly, Majhi was the Opposition chief whip.

Among the Deputy Chief Ministers, KV Singh Deo is a six-time MLA from Odisha's Patnagarh and belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Patnagarh in western Odisha. He had also served as a minister in the erstwhile BJD-BJP coalition government. His grandfather Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo was a former Chief Minister of Odisha.

Meanwhile, Pravati Parida is a first-time MLA from Nimapada in coastal Odisha and had earlier served as the president of BJP’s women wing in Odisha. She will be the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Four-time Keonjhar MLA Mohan Majhi has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Bhubaneswar airport and was received by CM designate Mohan Charan Majhi. He will be attending the swearing-in ceremony to be held at Bhubaneswar's Janata Maidan.

CM Mohan Charan Majhi

Deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo

Deputy CM Pravati Parida

Ministers:

Suresh Pujari

Rabi Narayan Naik

Nityananda Gond

Krushan Chandra Patra

Prithviraj Harichandran

Mukesh Mahaling

Bibhuti Bhushan Jena

Krushna Chandra Mahapatra

Ministers of State (Independent Charge):

Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia

Suryabanshi Suraj

Pradeep Bala Samanta

Gokulananda Mallik

Sampad Chandra Swain

Mohan Majhi, a four-term MLA, said work will begin within 100 days of the formation of the new government to fulfil the promises made in the BJP's manifesto.

Deputy CM Deo said, "The moment we take our oath, we will start working on the promises made to the people in our election manifesto. We had gone to the people seeking their blessing and they have been kind to give us the opportunity of coming to the government."

Majhi said that after 24 years of rule by a party, the minimum requirement of the people should be fulfilled. "But, here, people are struggling for a decent living," he said.

Odisha's CM designate Mohan Charan Majhi paid floral tributes at the statues of the state's icons in Bhubaneswar, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.

Accompanied by deputy CM designates KV Singh Deo and Prabhati Parida, Majhi paid floral tributes at the statues Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das at Gopabandhu Square, Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das outside Raj Bhavan, Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo at Power House Square, and Parala Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Ramachandra Mardaraj Deo at AG Square.

He also garlanded the statues of Fakir Mohan Senapati at Vani Vihar Square, Dharanidhar Bhuyan at Mayfair Square, Gangadhar Meher at Kalinga Hospital Square and Birsa Munda at Maitri Vihar.

As Odisha enters a new era of politics and governance after almost a quarter of a century under Naveen Patnaik, the BJP will look to meet the hopes and expectations of the people of a state that not only gave the party its first government in the East but also 20 MPs — four more than its largest NDA ally TDP — to the Narendra Modi government. And for the job, the party has picked Mohan Charan Majhi who will take oath as Chief Minister at a grand event in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

The announcement of the new CM took one week to come after the results of the simultaneous elections in the state, possibly an indication of the careful deliberations that must have gone into picking a leader who would not only shoulder the expectations of the people but be an effective component in the BJP’s larger double-engine mechanism.

Majhi fits the bill, almost. Click here to read our full report

After meeting Naveen Patnaik to invite him to the oath ceremony, Odisha CM-designate Mohan Charan Majhi today said Patnaik would attend the event.

"He told us that he will attend the oath ceremony later today," said Majhi.

On Wednesday, Odisha CM-designate Mohan Charan Majhi met outgoing CM Naveen Patnaik to invite him to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the Odisha Government scheduled to be held later this afternoon.

Ahead of his swearing-in ceremony Odisha's CM designate Mohan Charan Majhi paid floral tributes at the statues of the state's icons in Bhubaneswar.

Accompanied by deputy CM designates KV Singh Deo and Prabhati Parida, Majhi paid floral tributes at the statues Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das at Gopabandhu Square, Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das outside Raj Bhavan, Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo at Power House Square, and Parala Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Ramachandra Mardaraj Deo at AG Square.

The security arrangements were stepped up ahead of the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday.

A total of 67 platoons of the police have been deployed. Odisha government also announced that its offices in Bhubaneswar will remain closed for from 1 pm this afternoon.

"Tight security arrangements have been made at Bhubaneswar airport, Governor's House and Janata Maidan along with the route connecting the three destinations," Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda said.

Three anti-terrorism squads, one Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) unit, dog squad, and anti-sabotage teams have been engaged to ensure proper security at the venue, Panda said.

Mohan Charan Majhi has made history by becoming the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of Odisha. The selection was made during the BJP legislature party meeting, attended by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav as observers.

In Odisha, the first invitation card for the swearing-in ceremony was given to Lord Jagannath in Puri, and it was delivered at the 12th-century shrine by some newly elected MLAs.

Majhi will be the third tribal Chief Minister of Odisha after Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang, both from Congress. Parida will be the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

CM-designate Mohan Charan Majhi asserted that he will work in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to develop the state in the next five years.

Speaking with ANI, Majhi said, "There has been a struggle of 25 years and now we have come to power. I would like to express my gratitude to Lord Jagannath and also thank the people of Odisha. I will play my role and fulfil my responsibility." Stating that he has taken the responsibility to work for the Odia people, Majhi said "I will work according to PM Modi's vision to develop the Odisha. I will work to take the state forward and develop the state in the next five years and will ensure justice to the people."

Pravati Parida, set to sworn-in a the second Deputy CM of Odisha is a first-time MLA from the Nimapada Assembly constituency in the coastal Puri district.

Though Pravati, 57, contested in 2014 and 2019, she lost to the BJD’s Samir Ranjan Dash. She managed to win the seat this time after Samir joined the BJP after being denied the ticket.

Parida, a qualified lawyer and enrolled as an advocate in the Orissa High Court, has earlier served as the state president of the BJP Mahila Morcha.

Kanak Varshan Deo is the grandson of former Odisha CM Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo.

He was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1995 and continued to hold Patnagarh till 2019 when he lost to the BJD’s Saroj Meher. In 2024, Deo defeated Meher by a margin of 1,357 votes.

From 2000 to 2009, when the BJD and the BJP were in a coalition, he managed key portfolios such as Industries and Urban Development.

His wife Sangeeta Singh Deo is the current Balangir MP. She won the seat in 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2019 too.

- Mohan Charan Majhi, aged 52, is set to become the first BJP CM of Odisha CM.

- Belonging to Raikala in Keonjhar, Majhi's journey began as a teacher at the local Saraswati Shishu Mandir, affiliated with the RSS’s educational wing Vidya Bharti, before transitioning to politics as a sarpanch in 1997.

- He was elected to the Assembly in 2000, and subsequently re-elected in 2004, ascending to the position of Deputy Chief Whip within the BJD-BJP coalition government.

- However, his political fortunes took a downturn in the 2009 elections following the dissolution of the BJD-BJP alliance post the Kandhamal riots, resulting in a significant setback for the BJP, which finished third with just six seats.

- Despite setbacks, Majhi made a comeback in 2019, securing a third term from Keonjhar, even as the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD swept the rest of the seats in the district.

- With the BJP emerging as the primary opposition, Majhi assumed the role of the party’s chief whip, confronting the Naveen government head-on and filling the leadership void left by the illness of Leader of the Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik.

- In the recent elections, Majhi retained his seat in Keonjhar with a comfortable margin, defeating BJD’s Mina Majhi by 11,577 votes.

- Majhi's elevation marks a significant milestone as he becomes the first CM from Keonjhar, a district renowned for its abundant mineral reserves, which are pivotal contributors to the state’s GDP.

After a week of speculation, the BJP finally announced Mohan Charan Majhi, a four-time MLA from Keonjhar and a prominent tribal leader within the party, as the new Chief Minister of Odisha.

Majhi is set to take the oath of office today, alongside two Deputy Chief Ministers, K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, in a grand ceremony in Bhubaneswar. The event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.