Preparations are in full swing at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneshwar for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Odisha Chief Minister on June 10. Approximately 30,000 people are expected to attend the event.
Key NDA leaders, including Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and Minister Amit Shah, will likely attend the ceremony. This marks a significant political shift in Odisha, following the end of Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year tenure as Chief Minister after a substantial defeat in the State Assembly and Parliamentary elections. Patnaik submitted his resignation to Odisha Governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar last Wednesday.
In response to the election defeat, Patnaik instructed BJD party leaders to maintain close contact with the people and to work towards the betterment of the state. BJD leader Mahesh Sahu stated, “He advised us to maintain good relations with the people of our constituency and to stay connected with their problems.”
Another BJD leader, Swarup Das, expressed gratitude for Patnaik’s guidance and concern for the state’s well-being. “I am grateful to our CM… He urged us to work for the people. The people of Odisha have immense faith in us and the party cadres. BJD secured a 41 per cent vote share. Our CM is always concerned about the well-being of Odisha and he has instructed every party cadre to work for the well-being of the people,” Das said.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has governed Odisha since 1997, faced defeat against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ending Naveen Patnaik’s long-standing leadership. The BJP secured 78 seats in the 147-seat assembly, surpassing the majority mark of 74, while the BJD won 51 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP performed exceptionally well, securing 20 out of the 21 parliamentary seats in the state, with the remaining seat won by the Congress.
Preparations for the swearing-in ceremony continue as Odisha braces for this historic political transition.