Suspense over new Odisha CM continues; Swearing-in ceremony likely on June 12

Bhubaneswar: Even as suspense still continues over new chief minister of Odisha after BJP received mandate in recently concluded Assembly elections, the swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held on June 12.

In Odisha’s BJP’s first chief minister’s swearing-in ceremony will be held on June 12 instead of June 10, informed Odisha BJP’s General Secretary Jatin Mohanty today.

The new chief minister’s name will be announced at the BJP’s Legislature Party meeting on June 11, he added.

As the oath-taking ceremony was scheduled in two states including Odisha and the tight schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with newly elected Lok Sabha members, the programme was rescheduled, the BJP leader clarified.

Showing confidence in winning the Assembly polls this time, senior BJP leaders including Narendra Modi, JP Nadda and Amit Shah during marathon election campaigns had earlier announced June 10 as the swearing-in day for Odisha’s new CM. However, the Central leadership as well as the state unit of the party are yet to select a candidate for the post of Chief Minister in Odisha.

The BJP was to name its CM at the legislature party meeting tentatively scheduled for June 8, as per the party source. However, the programme was rescheduled to June 10 to choose the CM before the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for June 10 evening. But the event was again rescheduled for June 12.

Worth mentioning, the BJP swept the Assembly polls with winning 78 seats for the first time in Odisha. Outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, which ruled 24 years consecutively in the state, slipped to 2nd position in Assembly with only 51 seats.