Odisha Assembly Elections

Replacing former BJD CM Naveen Patnaik, Mohan Majhi was named the Chief Minister of Odisha after BJP swept the 2024 Assembly polls in Odisha

The swearing-in ceremony for the first BJP government in Odisha has been rescheduled from June 10 to June 12, party leaders Jatin Mohanty and Vijaypal Singh Tomar confirmed here on Sunday. Mohanty explained that the postponement was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitments. Modi will be busy with his own swearing-in ceremony on Sunday and meeting party MPs the following day. Additionally, the first legislature party meeting of the newly elected members is now set for June 11. During the election campaign, Modi had said Odisha's first BJP government would be sworn in on June 10. BJP state president Manmohan Samal had also confirmed this on Saturday. However, the decision to change the date was taken on Sunday, party sources said. Meanwhile, suspense still remains over the new chief minister. Senior BJP leader and newly elected MLA Suresh Pujari rushed to New Delhi, triggering speculation that he may be among the main contenders for the top post, sources said. Pujari, who

The Biju Janata Dal suffered a defeat in the Odisha assembly polls at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, putting an end to the 24-year-old reign of Naveen Patnaik

The chief minister of Odisha's maiden government of the BJP is likely to be selected during its Parliamentary Party meeting in New Delhi on Friday, leaders of the saffron camp said. The BJP trounced the BJD, which was ruling the state for 24 years in a row, winning 78 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly. Three of these 78 MLAs were ministers in the state earlier but it is not essential that the chief minister would be chosen from among the new assembly members only, a senior BJP leader said on Thursday. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was elected from Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency, however, is also one of the front-runners for the chief minister's job. Besides him, names of senior MLAs Suresh Pujari, Jayanarayan Mishra and K V Singh Deo are also doing the rounds as probable candidates for the chair. "The Parliamentary Party is the highest decision-making body of the BJP and it will meet in New Delhi tomorrow," Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said. The Parliamentary

As voting is currently underway in the fourth phase of the Odisha Assembly polls 2024, here's a quick look at the assembly seats, polling dates and key candidates

Polling commenced for six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly seats in Odisha on Saturday morning, amid tight security, a poll official said. Voting began at 7 am in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats, along with the 42 assembly segments that constitute these parliamentary constituencies. Polling will continue till 6 pm as there are no Maoist-hit zones under these Lok Sabha seats, the official added. Approximately 1 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes across 10,882 booths in the fourth and final round of simultaneous elections in the state. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) NB Dhal assured that adequate arrangements have been made for voters' convenience at all booths, considering the prevailing hot and humid weather conditions. In all, 36,000 security personnel and 72,000 polling officials have been deployed for this round of twin polls in the state. Sixty-six candidates are contesting for the six Lok Sabha seats, whil

The 2024 Indian general election in Odisha is being held in four phases to elect 21 members of the 18th Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha elections live: Voting is underway in 96 LS seats across 10 states. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha also have their assembly polls scheduled today

The BJP on Tuesday named 112 candidates for the Odisha assembly polls which will held alongside the Lok Sabha elections. The party's state unit president Manmohan Samal will contest from Chandabali while its former chief Suresh Pujari, an MP in the outgoing Lok Sabha, will fight from Brarajarajnagar. The Odisha assembly has 147 seats and the BJP has emerged as the main challenger to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal. Patnaik has been at the helm of the state since 2000. The BJP and the BJD were in talks for an alliance but the negotiations fell through over seat-sharing arrangement. The BJD and the BJP won 112 and 23 seats respectively in the 2019 polls in the state where the Congress is the third main party.

Speaking about violence reported in the last assembly elections in Odisha, the CEC stated that the administration should ensure that incidents of violence are checked in the state

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the BJP-led NDA will secure more than 350 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and return to power at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pradhan also asserted that the BJP would form the government in Odisha next year but he refused to divulge who would be the party's face here. The NDA will complete its 25th anniversary in 2024 and it will secure more than 350 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Pradhan said at an interactive session of the Odisha Literary Festival. Asked about the Odisha Assembly elections due next year, he said the "BJP will form the government" in the state. He said the saffron party had won elections in states like Maharashtra, Haryana and other places without making any announcement on the party's chief ministerial candidate before the polls. Here (Odisha) also, we will win polls in the same manner, Pradhan said, adding that he would not divulge more on the BJP's strategies on the public

Amid the arrival of a number of new electronic voting machines in Odisha, the state chief electoral officer (CEO) D N Gupta Friday has asked the media to refrain from speculations about early state Assembly poll. The CEO's office said in a statement that there is no connection between EVMs being supplied to the state and timing of the state poll, which is held simultaneously with Lok Sabha electtion. EVMs have a life span. The factory-made machines are being supplied to different states, including Odisha for use in future elections, the statement said. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier dropped hints about early polls in Odisha. The arrival of a batch of 8200 new EVMs in the first phase from Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad to the state on Tuesday triggered speculation in the media about early Assembly election in the coastal state. Representatives of different political parties were present when the EVMs arrived at the Puri ...

Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dharmendra Pradhan, has expressed desire of contesting elections from Odisha in 2024. Assembly elections are due in the coastal state next year, along with the Lok Sabha polls. I have already requested the party (BJP) I will contest this time, Pradhan said at an event organised by The New Indian Express here. However, he did not make it clear whether he will contest assembly or Lok Sabha polls. I am a strong believer of democracy, I believe in political homework and political hard work, not just management. To continue my connect with the common masses, I think the best way is to contest polls, Pradhan told PTI on Tuesday. Pradhan was elected to the Odisha Assembly in 2000 and to the Lok Sabha from Deogarh Parliamentary seat in 2004, when the BJP was in alliance with Biju Janata Dal. However, Pradhan lost the Assembly elections in 2009 after the BJP-BJD alliance broke. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and for a second term in 2018. To

Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik is leading in both Bijepur and his home turf Hinjili Assembly constituencies

The party believes the east's outlook is about to "change for the better"