Odisha's newly appointed Cabinet Minister Suresh Pujari calls on Governor Raghubar Das

Odisha's newly appointed Cabinet Minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday paid a courtesy call on Odisha Governor Raghubar Das at Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

Odisha's newly appointed Cabinet Minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday paid a courtesy call on Odisha Governor Raghubar Das at Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including Suresh Pujari took oath as ministers under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi-led cabinet in Odisha in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 12.

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. This is the first BJP government in Odisha after its emphatic performance in the recently concluded assembly polls, after it defeated the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), bringing an end to the latter's 24-year-old reign.

Majhi said that protecting Odisha's 'Asmita' (pride) will be the priority of the new government. The 52-year-old, belonging to the Santali tribe, hails from the state's Keonjhar district. He was elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Odisha on Tuesday.

Majhi began his career as a sarpanch from 1997-2000, Majhi was elected to the state assembly for the first time in 2000 from Keonjhar. He was re-elected in 2004. From 2005 to 09, he was the government deputy chief whip in the BJD-BJP coalition government. He was again elected as an MLA in 2019. In the recent polls, Majhi retained the seat by defeating BJD's Mina Majhi by 11,577 votes. The BJP won 78 of 147 seats in the Odisha assembly polls. (ANI)

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