The BJP has assigned observers to select the leader of the legislative party in Odisha. Rajnath Singh and Bhupendra Yadav, senior party leaders, are responsible for choosing the next Chief Minister. A meeting of MLAs is scheduled for Monday, during which the legislative party leader will likely be elected and sworn in as the new Chief Minister of the state. The party announced that its parliamentary board has designated observers to oversee the meeting, with Rajnath Singh and Bhupendra Yadav entrusted with this task.
Both leaders played active roles in the Odisha assembly elections. Preparations are underway for the inauguration of the BJP government's first Chief Minister in Odisha. Janata Maidan is being prepared for the ceremony, expected to be attended by 30,000 people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah on June 10.
A panel of three leaders, including Madhya Pradesh Minister Vishwas Sarang, Bhopal MP Alok Sharma, and BJP leader Lokendra Parashar, has been sent by the BJP high command to Odisha for government formation. The contenders for the Chief Minister's post include Sambalpur MP and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, former state BJP president and newly elected MLA from Patnagarh KV Singh Deo, and tribal leader Mohan Majhi.
Pradhan is a prominent figure in the state and belongs to the OBC category, while Deo is a five-time MLA who previously served in the Naveen Patnaik Council of Ministers. Majhi, elected from the Keonjhar seat, is also in consideration. The BJP secured 78 out of 147 seats in the recent elections, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of Odisha.
The Biju Janata Dal had been in power for 24 years under Naveen Patnaik's leadership, but the BJP's strong performance in the 2024 elections is historic, having won a majority in the state assembly and a significant number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections.