Literary figure, former minister: New Chhattisgarh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan face of non-Congress politics in Odisha

He was among a few from Odisha detained under the controversial Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in 1975 during the Emergency under then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Harichandan later joined the BJP after its formation and was its Odisha unit president from 1980 to 1988. He switched to Janata Dal when it was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions and some other political parties in 1988. He became the vice-president of the Janata Dal in Odisha for some years before he rejoined BJP in April 1996.

He was elected to the Odisha assembly five times — twice from the Chilka assembly constituency, from 1977 to 1980 as a Janata Party candidate and from 1990 to 1994 as a Janata Dal nominee, and thrice as a BJP candidate from the Bhubaneswar assembly segment.

Except for his tenure as a legislator from 1996 to 2000 as a BJP candidate, Harichandan has always been part of the treasury bench.

He also served as a minister under different chief ministers—Nilamani Routray, Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik. He held key portfolios like food supplies and consumer welfare, law, labour employment and housing, cooperation, law, fisheries and animal resources development, revenue, rural development and industries.

Known to be a literary personality, Harichandan has authored five books. His son Prithiviraj is a senior leader of BJP’s Odisha unit.