Bhubaneswar, June 12, 2024: Mohan Charan Majhi, a four-time MLA with roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been chosen as the new Chief Minister of Odisha, marking the end of the BJP’s four-decade-long pursuit of power in the State. The 52-year-old will be sworn in as the BJP’s first Chief Minister in Odisha today.
Mr. Majhi, a member of the Santali tribe, hails from Raikala village in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district. He began his political journey as the sarpanch of the Raikala panchayat and gradually ascended the political ladder. In addition to his political career, he briefly worked as a teacher at Saraswati Sishu Mandir, a school affiliated with the Sangh Parivar.
A law graduate with a Master’s in Arts, Mr. Majhi returned to the Assembly in 2019. His performance stood out during the five-year term from 2019 to 2024, when the voice of the 23 BJP MLAs was often overshadowed by the 112 MLAs of the BJD in the Assembly.
Mr. Majhi introduced seven private member’s Bills, including the Odisha Whistle Blowers’ Protection Bill, 2020; the Odisha Mahila Gram Sabha Bill, 2021; the Reservation of One-third of Employment in Government Posts and Services for Odisha Government School Students Bill, 2021; the Odisha Ground Water (Protection, Conservation, Regulation and Management) Bill, 2023; and the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2023. As the Chief Whip of the BJP in the 16th Odisha Legislative Assembly, Mr. Majhi participated in numerous discussions during adjournment motion or zero hour sessions. As a national secretary of the BJP ST Morcha, he has always championed the tribal cause.
His rich experience as the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the 13th Assembly, the Chief Whip of the BJP Legislature Party since 2019, and the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee since 2022 will assist him in managing government affairs. A native of Keonjhar, which boasts India’s largest iron ore deposits, Mr. Majhi has been particularly vocal about irregularities in the mining sector. During the BJD rule, he was at the forefront of flagging corruption in the utilisation of massive funds under the District Mineral Foundation.
According to his confidants, Mr. Majhi rarely misses social functions in every village within his Assembly constituency and personally intervenes to assist patients in accessing bigger hospitals. His empathy for people has helped him win four terms as MLA over the past 24 years.
On the proudest day of his life, he took time to console the family members of his personal assistant, who died in a road accident on Tuesday. After the post-mortem, Mr. Majhi returned to the party MLAs’ meeting.
With his swearing-in today, Mr. Majhi begins his tenure as the first BJP Chief Minister of Odisha, bringing a new era to the State’s political landscape.
