Bhubaneswar: The new Chief Minister of Odisha from BJP will take oath of office June 12 instead of June 10 at Bhubaneswar’s Janata Maidan, a source said Sunday.
Prior to the Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in many of his election speeches had said that the new Chief Minister from the BJP would take oath June 10 after defeating Naveen Patnaik-led BJD.
Party leaders Jatin Mohanty and Vijaypal Singh Tomar Sunday said that the swearing-in ceremony for the first BJP government will take place Wednesday. Mohanty explained that the postponement was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitments.
Modi will be busy with his own swearing-in ceremony Sunday and meeting party MPs the following day. Additionally, the first legislature party meeting of the newly elected members is now set for June 11, he added.
During the election campaign, Modi had said Odisha’s first BJP government would be sworn in June 10. BJP state president Manmohan Samal had also confirmed this Saturday.
However, the decision to change the date was taken Sunday, party sources said.
Meanwhile, suspense still remains over the new Chief Minister. Senior BJP leader and newly elected MLA Suresh Pujari rushed to New Delhi, triggering speculation that he may be among the main contenders for the top post, sources said.
Pujari, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bargarh in the 2019 polls, won the recent election from Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency. His supporters believe he was called to New Delhi for discussions with central leaders.
While the BJP central leadership is yet to zero in on any leader for the post, Odisha party unit president Manmohan Samal Saturday told reporters to wait for two more days for a clear picture to emerge.
After returning from New Delhi, Samal said the parliamentary board of BJP would take a decision on the Chief Minister at its meeting. The BJP secured a comfortable majority in the 147-member Assembly, winning 78 seats. The party went to the elections under the leadership of Modi without naming a Chief Ministerial candidate.
Meanwhile, preparations are on to organise the oath-taking ceremony at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar.
It can be mentioned here that Narendra Modi will take oath as the Prime Minister for the third straight term Sunday evening. Alongside Modi, sources said that some members of his Council of Ministers will also take their oath. The oath ceremony will take place at 7:15pm at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In the recently concluded Odisha Assembly election BJP bagged 78 out of 147 Assembly seats while the BJD secured 51, Congress (14), Independent (3) and CPI(M) 1 seat.
PNN & Agencies
