Odisha: Three Ex-Ministers To Rejoin Naveen Patnaik Cabinet Today

Bhubaneswar: In second such exercise in as many years and probably the last before 2024 twin polls, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to rejig his Council of Ministers on Monday by inducting former ministers and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLAs Bikram Keshari Arukha, Sudam Marndi, and Sarada Prasad Nayak into his Cabinet.

The oath-taking ceremony of the new ministers for three vacancies in the state Cabinet will be held at 9:50 am at the Convention Centre of Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

The resignation of two ministers — Srikanta Sahu and Samir Ranjan Dash — in quick succession had triggered speculation of a cabinet reshuffle. Arukha, on the other hand, cited personal reasons for his sudden resignation from speaker post.

The decorum of Speaker was hindering political activities of six-time Bhanjanagar MLA Arukha, who is known for his  organisational skills, and his induction in the ministry had become necessary to strengthen the party in Naveen’s home district Ganjam with former speaker Surya Narayan Patro keeping unwell and also to counter former minister Pradip Panigrahi, who was expelled from the part following his arrest in a job scam, sources said.

Ganjam has 13 MLA seats with 12 won by BJD in 2019.

Sudam Marndi and Sarada Prasad Nayak’s re-entry is expected to help party check BJP growth in Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts, respectively. Marndi, who served as a minister during 2014-17 and 2019-22, was dropped from the Cabinet following a reshuffle in June 2022. Induction of three-time Rourkela MLA Nayak is being seen as a pat on his back for ensuring the party’s record victory in the recent Jharsuguda by-election.

Of Mayurbhanj’s 9 seats, BJD won only 3 in 2019. In Sundargarh, the ruling party had won only 2 of 7 seats in last election.

However, a decision is yet to be taken on the next speaker. Prafulla Samal, Debi Prasad Mishra, Amar Prasad Satpathy and Badri Narayan Patra are frontrunners for the post, the sources added.