Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on May 22 inducted three new Ministers into his Cabinet after the resignation of Bikram Keshari Arukha as Speaker of State Legislative Assembly and two other Ministers from their respective posts 10 days ago.
Mr. Arukha, Sudam Marndi, and Sarada Prasad Nayak, who represent Bhanjanagar, Bangriposi and Rourkela Assembly constituencies respectively, were administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor Ganeshi Lal at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
While Mr. Arukha had stepped down from the State Legislative Assembly’s Speaker’s post recently, Sameer Ranjan Dash, former School and Mass Education Minister, and Srikant Sahu, former Labour Minister, were asked to put in their papers after controversies surrounding their personal lives surfaced.
Soon after their swearing-in ceremony, departments were allocated to the three MLAs, who had previously held different portfolios in the Patnaik government at different points of time in the past.
Mr. Arukha got the important Finance portfolio held by Niranjan Pujari. Now, Mr. Pujari will be in charge of Health and Family Welfare Department and Parliamentary Affairs Department, held additionally by him apart from the Finance Department. Mr. Arukha, a six-time MLA, has been a senior leader from Ganjam, the home district of Odisha CM.
During the past couple of years, BJD organisations were appearing to be crumbling from within in the district, especially following the falling-out of Gopalpur MLA Praeep Panigrahi with the party. Known as a strong grassroots leader, Mr. Arukha is expected to strengthen BJD in Ganjam.
Mr. Marndi, who was earlier Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, was allocated School and Mass Education Minister in place of Mr. Dash. The tribal leader hails from Mayurbhanj district. According to political analysts, the BJD is wary of tribals tilting towards BJP especially after President Droupadi Murmu, daughter of the soil, was elected to the highest office. The selection of Mr. Marndi appears to be aimed at changing the narrative. Besides, BJP had won six out of nine Assembly constituencies in Mayurbhanj in 2019. Mr. Marndi has his task cut out to improve the party’s tally in 2024 election.
Similarly, Mr. Nayak, who returned to Council of Ministers after a decade, was rewarded for his devotion towards the party. The BJD had won 33 out of 36 zila parishads in Sundargarh district in the 2022 panchayat elections although former Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Jual Oram, is the sitting MP from the district. He would handle Labour and Employee’s State Insurance Department.
A decision on Speaker’s post has not yet been taken. The State BJP criticised the Patnaik government and said the CM must inform people as to why the two Ministers were unceremoniously shunted out.
