Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited Odisha for the first time after the Cabinet reshuffle and met Jagadguru Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati on Guru Purnima.
In the Cabinet reshuffle, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, he was appointed as the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Besides petroleum, he has been given an additional charge of the skill development ministry.
Ahead of BJP president Amit Shah's three-day visit to Odisha from Wednesday, Pradhan on Tuesday voiced his confidence that the party would achieve the goal of winning 120 of the 147 assembly seats in the state.
Pradhan's comments come a day after the ruling BJD in the state yesterday exuded confidence that the regional party would win in 123 of the 147 seats in the state Assembly.