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After clinching an unprecedented majority in the just concluded simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state, the new council of ministers of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Naveen Patnaik will take the oath of office on May 21.
"I have just met the Governor and submitted the letter electing me as the leader of the BJD legislature party," Patnaik told reporters after meeting Governor, S C Jamir, here today.
After the meeting, Governor has invited Patnaik to form the new government.
The new council of ministers will be sworn in on the 21st morning, Patnaik said.
The BJD supremo was elected as the legislature party leader unanimously by the newly elected party MLAs at the party office on Sunday. He will take oath as the chief minister for the fourth term on the trot.
With 117 out of 147 assembly seats under its belt, the ruling BJD has virtually wiped out the opposition parties Congress and BJP which won in 16 and 10 constituencies respectively.
However, three ministers' in the outgoing ministry, including finance minister Prasanna Acharya, IT minister, Pratap Keshari Deb, have lost the election.
Meanwhile, intense speculation and lobbying have started on the constitution of the ministry with senior BJD leaders making bee line to meet Patnaik at his residence. The selection of ministers will be a daunting task for the BJD supremo as about 30 MLAs among the winners were either ministers in the outgoing ministry or previous to that. Many young faces are also likely to be inducted in the council of ministers.
Under the Patnaik leadership, the regional outfit seats have grown by leaps and bounds with each passing elections. In 2000 and 2004, when BJD was in alliance with BJP, it had won 68 and 61 seats. In 2009 the regional party had won 103 seats.
