In a historic turn of events, Mohan Charan Majhi will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha today at 5 PM, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders in attendance. Earlier in the day, N Chandrababu Naidu will take the oath as Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister at 11.27 AM, marking his fourth term in office. PM Modi is scheduled to attend both ceremonies, underscoring the significance of these events for the BJP and the nation. Mohan Charan Majhi, a four-time MLA, was chosen as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party on Tuesday. The 52-year-old leader is a prominent tribal face in Odisha and will be the first BJP Chief Minister in the state’s history. His deputies, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, will join him in leading the new administration.
The swearing-in ceremony for Majhi will be held at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar at 5 PM. The event is expected to draw a large crowd, with around 30,000 attendees, including several dignitaries such as Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states. The Odisha government has announced that its offices in Bhubaneswar will remain closed from 1 PM to accommodate the event. Before the ceremony, Majhi met with outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJD supremo, in Bhubaneswar. Majhi invited Patnaik to the swearing-in ceremony, and Patnaik assured him that he would attend. Majhi also paid floral tributes at the statues of the state’s icons, accompanied by his deputy Chief Ministers-designate, KV Singh Deo and Prabhati Parida.
Prime Minister Modi, after attending Naidu’s swearing-in ceremony in Andhra Pradesh, is expected to depart for Bhubaneswar at 12.45 PM. He is scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar at 2.30 PM and will proceed to Raj Bhavan from the airport. Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year tenure as Chief Minister of Odisha came to an end after the BJP’s decisive victory in the state elections. The BJP won 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly, while the BJD managed to secure only 51 seats. This victory marks a significant shift in Odisha’s political landscape.
Earlier in the day, Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP chief, will take the oath as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh at a ceremony near Medha IT Park, opposite Gannavaram Airport in Kesarapalli, on the outskirts of Vijayawada. The swearing-in is set for 11.27 AM and will be attended by a host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP chief JP Nadda. Alongside Naidu, other leaders such as Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, senior leader N Manohar, Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh, and TDP leader Atchannaidu are also expected to take the oath. These ceremonies highlight a day of significant political change in both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with new leadership poised to guide the states into the future. The presence of top national leaders at these events underscores their importance on the national stage.