Naveen Patnaik will attend swearing-in ceremony, says Odisha CM-designate Mohan Majhi

Odisha Chief Minister-designate and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mohan Charan Majhi met the outgoing CM Naveen Patnaik, who held the position for over two decades, and invited him to attend the oath ceremony later in the day.

Odisha Chief Minister-designate and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mohan Charan Majhi met the outgoing CM Naveen Patnaik, who held the position for over two decades, and invited him to attend the oath ceremony later in the day. Following the meeting, Majhi affirmed that Patnaik will be attending the oath-taking ceremony.

"He (Naveen Patnaik) told us that he will attend the oath ceremony later today," Majhi told reporters after meeting the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo. Two deputy chief ministers; first-time MLA Pravati Parida and six-time legislator Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo will also be sworn in today.

Majhi, the four-time BJP MLA has said that protecting Odisha's 'Asmita' (pride) will be the priority of the new government. "The new government will take oath today. The first job after taking the oath is to work to protect Odisha's 'Asmita' (pride)," Majhi told reporters on Wednesday.

"Our double-engine government is coming and will work to fulfill Modi's guarantees and resolve the problems of marginalized people," he added. Earlier in the day, Majhi along with his Deputy CM-designates KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida paid floral tributes to Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo, 'Utkalamani' Gopabandhu Das, Parala Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Ramachandra Mardaraj Deo in Bhubaneshwar.

Later he visited Maitri Vihar in Bhubaneshwar, where he met members of the Santal community (one of the tribal communities). The community members also welcomed Odisha CM-designate Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers-designates KV Singh Deo, and Pravati Parida in their traditional way by washing their feet. "...I was welcomed by them ( members of a tribal community) as per the tradition. We have not left behind our traditions," Majhi said while speaking to reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took oath as the PM for a third consecutive term last week, will also attend the ceremony in Odisha today. Tight security arrangements are in place for the swearing-in ceremony. BJP will form its first government in Odisha after winning the assembly polls, which were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP won 78 of 147 seats in the Odisha assembly, uprooting the over two-decade rule of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD. (ANI)

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