Mohan Charan Majhi: Sarpanch and teacher who galvanised RSS in Odisha’s Keonjhar district | Bhubaneswar News
BHUBANESWAR: A sarpanch, teacher and an agriculturist, Mohan Charan Majhi, Odisha‘s first BJP chief minister-designate has donned many hats with elan. Majhi, 52, won from the tribal-reserved Keonjhar assembly seat four times. Known for being soft-spoken with a down-to-earth yet firm approach, he replaced Naveen Patnaik as the 15th chief minister of Odisha.
He was chosen as the new CM primarily for his clean image, a staunch partymen, his tribal status and the fact that he played a key role in galvanising the RSS in Keonjhar.
Hailing from a Santhal family, same as President Droupadi Murmu, Majhi grew up in a sleepy village called Raikala in Keonjhar sadar area. As a young leader and teacher, Majhi even taught for a while at the RSS-run Saraswati Shisu Vidya Mandir, before taking the political plunge. After studying law, he dabbled in politics as a young leader for a while and started his political career as a sarpanch in 1997 and continued till 2000.
He is only the third tribal MLA in Odisha after Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang, both from Congress, to become CM in the state.
The 52-year-old has steadily climbed the political ladder, starting as a sarpanch in 1997 and now reached the pinnacle of state leadership. “With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, BJP has won a majority to form the govt. The 4.5 crore people of Odisha voted for change. BJP will fulfil the hopes and aspirations for which the people of Odisha have voted for us. I will work to make Odisha the best governed state in the country,” Majhi told reporters.
Having an RSS background, Majhi taught in an RSS-run Shishu Vidya Mandir before taking the political plunge. A firebrand MLA, he has raised his voice against various scams in the outgoing Naveen Patnaik govt in Odisha. In his last term as MLA, he was BJP chief whip in the assembly.
After a meeting of BJP MLAs, Union minister Rajnath Singh announced Majhi’s name. “He is a young and dynamic karyakarta who will take the state forward on the road to progress and prosperity as the new chief minister of Odisha,” Rajnath said, amid huge applause. Majhi later staked claim to form a government with governor Raghubar Das and is scheduled to take oath on Wednesday.
Apart from caste, BJP’s act of balancing the region also favoured Majhi.
Singh Deo, who is from the Balangir royal family, has served as a minister in the BJP-BJD coalition govt from 2000 to 2009, holding crucial portfolios such as industries, housing and urban development and public enterprises. The Delhi University graduate was state BJP president from 2013 to 2016.
Parida, who won the assembly election for the first time from Nimapara assembly seat in Puri district, is also a law graduate. She served as BJP Mahila Morcha president (2016-2022) and BJP Odisha vice president (2022-2024).
She belongs to the Khandayat community, who finds place in the OBC list.
BJP has balanced caste and region in the top three posts as well. Singh Deo is from west and Parida from the east coast. During his election campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised a young, healthy and native Odia, who understands Odia culture, will lead the state.
He was chosen as the new CM primarily for his clean image, a staunch partymen, his tribal status and the fact that he played a key role in galvanising the RSS in Keonjhar.
Hailing from a Santhal family, same as President Droupadi Murmu, Majhi grew up in a sleepy village called Raikala in Keonjhar sadar area. As a young leader and teacher, Majhi even taught for a while at the RSS-run Saraswati Shisu Vidya Mandir, before taking the political plunge. After studying law, he dabbled in politics as a young leader for a while and started his political career as a sarpanch in 1997 and continued till 2000.
He is only the third tribal MLA in Odisha after Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang, both from Congress, to become CM in the state.
The 52-year-old has steadily climbed the political ladder, starting as a sarpanch in 1997 and now reached the pinnacle of state leadership. “With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, BJP has won a majority to form the govt. The 4.5 crore people of Odisha voted for change. BJP will fulfil the hopes and aspirations for which the people of Odisha have voted for us. I will work to make Odisha the best governed state in the country,” Majhi told reporters.
Having an RSS background, Majhi taught in an RSS-run Shishu Vidya Mandir before taking the political plunge. A firebrand MLA, he has raised his voice against various scams in the outgoing Naveen Patnaik govt in Odisha. In his last term as MLA, he was BJP chief whip in the assembly.
After a meeting of BJP MLAs, Union minister Rajnath Singh announced Majhi’s name. “He is a young and dynamic karyakarta who will take the state forward on the road to progress and prosperity as the new chief minister of Odisha,” Rajnath said, amid huge applause. Majhi later staked claim to form a government with governor Raghubar Das and is scheduled to take oath on Wednesday.
Apart from caste, BJP’s act of balancing the region also favoured Majhi.
Singh Deo, who is from the Balangir royal family, has served as a minister in the BJP-BJD coalition govt from 2000 to 2009, holding crucial portfolios such as industries, housing and urban development and public enterprises. The Delhi University graduate was state BJP president from 2013 to 2016.
Parida, who won the assembly election for the first time from Nimapara assembly seat in Puri district, is also a law graduate. She served as BJP Mahila Morcha president (2016-2022) and BJP Odisha vice president (2022-2024).
She belongs to the Khandayat community, who finds place in the OBC list.
BJP has balanced caste and region in the top three posts as well. Singh Deo is from west and Parida from the east coast. During his election campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised a young, healthy and native Odia, who understands Odia culture, will lead the state.
