BJP's Strategic Moves Amidst Odisha Poll Victory: Anticipation Builds for New CM

Following its majority win in the Odisha assembly polls, the BJP is set to hold its first legislature party meeting to select the new chief minister. Senior leaders, including Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav, will oversee the process. The final candidate will visit Shree Jagannath temple before the swearing-in ceremony on June 12.

In the wake of securing a majority in the Odisha assembly elections, the BJP is gearing up for a pivotal legislature party meeting. Scheduled for Tuesday, the gathering will decide the next chief minister of the state, according to Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi. The meeting is set to commence at 4:30 pm at the BJP's state headquarters.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav have already arrived in Bhubaneswar to attend the meeting as observers. On June 4, the BJP clinched a majority by winning 78 out of 147 assembly seats. With figures like Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan taking a significant ministry role in Narendra Modi's third government, attention has turned to individuals like Suresh Pujari, who represents Brajarajnagar, and Manmohan Samal, the Odisha BJP unit president.

Though Samal faced defeat in the Chandbali assembly election, losing by 1,916 votes, his significant contributions to the party’s success have put him in consideration for the chief minister's post. Comptroller and Auditor General of India and former J&K Lieutenant Governor, Girish Murmu, is another contender, despite Senior BJP leader Vijay Pal Singh Tomar's claim of being unaware of Murmu's consideration.

Party insiders suggest that an unexpected candidate might emerge as seen in past instances in states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. A senior party leader noted, 'Everything is possible in Odisha as the BJP is a worker-driven party.' The appointed chief minister will first make a visit to the Shree Jagannath temple in Puri before the oath-taking ceremony, which is expected to occur on June 12 at 5 pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to arrive in Bhubaneswar at 2:30 pm on the ceremony day and will head to Raj Bhavan directly from the airport. He is scheduled to attend the oath-taking event at Janata Maidan later in the day. Security has been heightened at the venue, which will host various dignitaries, including union ministers and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states.