Bhubaneswar: When Suryabanshi Suraj took oath as a member of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s team in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, the crowd at Janata Maidan stood in loud applause for the youngest lawmaker in the first BJP Ministry in Odisha.
The crowd was seen cheering the 28-year-old Minister all through his swearing-in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the grand ceremony, also listened attentively to Suraj as he took oath.
Suraj, the MLA from Dhamnagar in Bhadrak, accepted the responsibility and expressed gratitude to the leadership for the trust reposed in him.
Describing June 12 as a historic day for the state, the young Minister said that people of Odisha have voted BJP to power to protect ‘Odia Asmita’ (Odia Pride) and fulfil their hopes and aspirations.
Suraj had made a debut in electoral politics in 2022 when he first was elected from Dhamnagar Assembly seat in 2022 by-election after the death of his father Bishnu Charan Sethi. Thereafter, he has emerged as a popular young face in the state politics.
His appointment as a minister of state (independent charge) is widely seen as the new BJP government’s trust and confidence in youth leaders in leading administration.
Hailing from a family dedicated to nationalism and social service, Suraj had also excelled in education and earned a BTech degree in Electrical Engineering. He always took an active interest in the political and social activities of his father who was the MLA of Dhamnagar. Aiming to provide justice to the downtrodden of his region, he also got an LLB degree.
Suraj is carrying on the legacy of social service and truthful politics of his father.
According to his supporters, Suraj believes in silent work, service, and sincere efforts to serve the people instead of hankering after publicity and prpaganda.
