The BJP has appointed Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav as its Central observers to elect the legislature party leader in Odisha. The BJP in a statement said that its parliamentary board has chosen these two leaders to oversee the election of the legislature party leader in the State.
The BJP legislature party is likely to meet tomorrow to elect its leader. The swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP chief minister of the state is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at the Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar, preparations for which are in its full swing.
Earlier, senior party leaders and MPs Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram were being considered as the frontrunners for the chief minister post, but they are said to be out of the race after both have been included in the Union Cabinet last evening. Many other names including senior MLAs Suresh Pujari and KV Singh Deo are doing the rounds for the coveted post.
The BJP may also come up with a surprise name for the chief minister’s post. The party won 78 seats in the 147-member assembly, scoring a majority for the first time in the state, ending the Biju Janata Dal’s over 24 years rule under outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
(With inputs from agencies)
