NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a historic triumph in Odisha by winning 78 seats independently, positioning itself to form the state government for the first time without any alliances. Since June 4, there has been widespread speculation about who the BJP will choose to succeed Naveen Patnaik, Odisha’s longest-serving Chief Minister.
Following the election results, all the newly elected MLAs began assembling in Bhubaneswar, Odisha’s capital, where a meeting will soon be held to choose the state’s new Chief Minister. However, before this meeting, the BJP parliamentary board will appoint observers for the state and he will lead the selection process.
Since the BJP’s victory in Odisha, several potential names for the new Chief Minister have started circulating in the state. However, political pundits are hesitant to make predictions, given the BJP’s history of selecting Chief Ministers unexpectedly, as seen in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Nonetheless, various names are being discussed in political circles.
A BJP leader of Odisha, speaking anonymously to The Sunday Guardian, revealed that Union Education Minister and Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat winner Dharmendra Pradhan is considered the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post. He also mentioned other contenders, including state BJP president Manmohan Samal, who significantly contributed to the party’s success in the elections but is less favoured due to his electoral loss. Another name in the race is Girish C. Murmu, a retired Odia IAS officer, who served in Gujarat during Narendra Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister and was also the Comptroller General of India. Additionally, former Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi are being considered. However, asking an MP to resign and get elected from an assembly seat could be tricky for the BJP, which falls short of a majority to form a government on its own in the centre. BJP state spokesperson SJ. Umakanta Pattanaik told The Sunday Guardian that the party’s central parliamentary board would make the final decision on selecting the new CM of Odisha. Emphasising the importance of Odisha’s native culture, he stressed that the chosen CM must be from Odisha, proficient in speaking Odia, and capable of representing Odia culture on a significant platform. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed this sentiment during the election campaign. Patanaik mentioned that the party is expected to announce the CM’s name on June 10th.
The Odisha Assembly of 147 members, the BJP secured 78 seats, while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) got 51 seats. The Congress increased its number from 9 seats in 2019 to 14 in 2024. The Communist Party of India won one seat, and three independent candidates also emerged victorious. The BJP’s tally has gone up further after one Independent MLA joined the party earlier this week, and two more are likely to follow soon.