BHUBANESWAR: AMID the big suspense over who the BJP top leadership anoints as the chief minister of Odisha, preparations have begun in full swing for the swearing-in ceremony of the first saffron party government in the state on June 10.
Janata Maidan, the expansive open ground in the state capital which can accommodate a huge gathering, will host the ceremony which the BJP is set to make a grand spectacle. As an alternative, the Raj Bhawan is being considered keeping in view the monsoon season.
Meanwhile, state BJP president Manmohan Samal and leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Jayanarayan Mishra on Thursday left for Delhi on Thursday to attend the party’s parliamentary board meeting. The BJP parliamentary board is the highest decision-making body for all important issues starting from selection of candidates to formation of government and selection of chief minister.
All the 20 BJP MPs from Odisha have reached Delhi to attend the meeting.
The duo was, however, tight-lipped on issue of CM selection. “I am not aware of the agenda of the meeting. The first thing would be that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be elected as the leader of the BJP parliamentary party. After the formality is over, the newly-elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are expected to meet on Friday to elect Modi as their leader, paving the way for him to take oath as prime minister for the third time,” said Mishra before his departure to Delhi.
Asked if the meeting will take a call on Odisha chief minister, Mishra replied, “I have no idea about any other issue to be discussed in the meeting. The agenda of chief minister selection for Odisha will be known only if it is taken up.”
Party sources, though, said the BJP parliamentary board meeting on Friday will possibly pick the chief minister for Odisha. Since Modi will take oath as prime minister on the evening of June 9, the name of the chief minister may be announced either on Sunday or Monday, they said.
“The swearing-in ceremony in all likelihood will take place on June 10 as announced by the prime minister. The list of invitees to the event has not been finalized. But, it is certain that the prime minister, Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda will be present. All the chief ministers of the BJP and NDA ruled state will be invited,” the sources added.