Will BJP Again Spring A Surprise With Its CM Pick For Odisha?

Bhubaneswar: The BJP is set to form its maiden government in Odisha, having won 78 seats, four more than the majority mark in the 147-member Assembly.

The victory not only ended the Biju Janata Dal’s unbroken 24-year stint led by CM Naveen Patnaik but also established BJP as a formidable force in the state’s politics. Now, the all important question is who will be the CM of this BJP’s full-majority government.

The saffron party fought the elections in Odisha under the leadership of Narendra Modi without projecting a CM candidate. During his election rallies, Modi had said that the party will pick the CM candidate, who will be a ‘Bhoomiputra’, on June 6 and s/he will be sworn in as the CM in Bhubaneswar on June 10.

The party’s emphatic victory has led to a lot of speculation about the likely CM with Dharmendra Pradhan, who won the MP seat from Sambalpur, emerging as a frontrunner among the heavyweight leaders from the state. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal told reporters that the party’s Parliamentary Board will take a decision on the next Chief Minister in a day or two.

Dharmendra Ahead In CM Race

The name of Dharmendra as a potential CM is being discussed in political circles since long. He is said to be close to both Modi and Amit Shah, and the BJP might pick him to steer the state to “new heights of progress” as promised by the party’s leadership.

Dharmendra has been a key part of the Union Cabinet, holding the Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship portfolios. Prior to this, he also served as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

If BJP decides on his name him as the CM then he will have to leave his Sambalpur parliamentary seat and contest a bypoll from an Assembly segment.

Others In The Reckoning

Names of several other heavyweight leaders are also doing the rounds. Among them is Suresh Pujari, who won his first Assembly poll from Brajarajnagar. He had earlier served as the state BJP president and was also an MP from Bargarh.

Jayanarayan Mishra, who retained his Sambalpur seat, is reportedly in contention too and so also KV Singhdeo, who won from Patnagarh. After five wins in a row, KV conceded defeat in the 2019 elections from Patnagarh to Saroj Kumar Meher of BJD, but avenged the loss in 2024.

Surprise CM?

The BJP might also spring a surprise as it did in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh by announcing CMs, whose names had not been anticipated by political experts and who were seldom heard of. Amid this speculation, Comptroller and Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu has emerged as a prospective candidate and can turn out to be the party’s CM pick for Odisha. A native of Betnoti in Mayurbhanj district, he is a retired 1985-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre who served as the principal secretary to Modi during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was also the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir. Murmu is also said to enjoy immense faith of Modi and Shah. He did MA in political science from Utkal University.

Despite losing the Assembly polls from Chandabali, state BJP president Manmohan Samal can also be rewarded for playing a pivotal role in the party’s victory in Odisha.