Bhubaneswar: With Saffron Veteran Dharmendra Pradhan joined Union Cabinet, suspense over who will be the new Chief Minister of Odisha continues as the BJP yet to hold a formal discussion for picking up CM face.
There is serious discussion across the State over next Chief Minister with several names both young and veterans popping up in Social Media and TV Channels.
While Central Leadership was very busy till last evening on forming the new government Modi 3.0. The oath-taking ceremony was completed yesterday. Now Central Observers are rushing to Bhubaneswar to finalize the name.
Whether the Central Leadership will pick up ‘Greenhorn’ or ‘Veteran’ will be seen on 11 June, when the Legislators will meet at State BJP Headquarters.
Now, the Parliamentary Party would decide who will be the first BJP Chief Minister in the State as per the recommendation of the BJP Legislature Party.
Greenhorns like Mukesh Mahaling, Suryabanshi Suraj, Amar Nayak or Pruthiviraj Harichandan or Veterans like Suresh Pujari, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Jaya Narayan Mishra, Man Mohan Samal will be picked up is a million dollar question.
The BJP may also come up with a surprise name for the Chief Minister’s post-Surama Padhi.
Meanwhile, the BJP has appointed Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav as its Central Observers to elect the legislature party leader in the State.
The BJP in a statement said that its Parliamentary Board has chosen these two leaders to oversee the election of the legislature party leader in the State.
The BJP Parliamentary Board is the highest decision-making body for all important issues starting from selection of candidates to formation of government and selection of Chief Minister.
The BJP Legislature Party meeting will be held on June 11 to elect its leader. The swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP Chief Minister of the state is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at the Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar, preparations for which are in its full swing.
Earlier, senior party leader Dharmendra Pradhan was being considered as the frontrunners for the Chief Minister post, but he is said to be out of the race after he has been included in the Union Cabinet last evening.
The party won 78 seats in the 147-member assembly, scoring a majority for the first time in the State, ending the Biju Janata Dal’s over 24 years rule under outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.