BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJD leader and former speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha was handed the important Finance portfolio on his reinduction into Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet on Monday.
Sudam Marndi and Sarada Nayak who also rejoined the ministry have been given School and Mass Education and Labour departments respectively.
The three ministers were administered oath by Governor Ganeshi Lal at the convention centre of Lok Seva Bhawan here in what is said to be the last cabinet reshuffle by the chief minister ahead of 2024 elections.
The Finance department was with Niranjan Pujari. He was given additional charge of Health after the death of Naba Kishore Das. Pujari will now handle Health as well as Parliamentary Affairs departments. The School and Mass Education and Labour and Employees Insurance portfolios had fallen vacant after the resignation of Samir Ranjan Dash and Srikant Sahu from their posts earlier this month. Marndi and Nayak have now filled up the vacancies respectively.
The cabinet reshuffle has been made keeping in mind the regional priorities. The three posts were distributed to leaders from south, west and north Odisha. The reason behind Arukha’s induction is meant to fill the absence of former speaker Surjya Narayan Patra who is no longer active because of illness. Inclusion of Marndi, who was dropped from the ministry only last year, is seen as a move to woo the tribal constituency in Mayurbhanj district, where the BJP has been traditionally strong.
Sources said Marndi had to be reinducted into the cabinet because of his strong base among the tribals for his JMM past. There was also speculation that he was in touch with the BJP after being dropped in June, 2022. Nayak’s inclusion in the cabinet will serve two purposes. The leadership has tried to keep away from the acute factionalism in the BJD in western Odisha districts. The move will also placate the Sundargarh district BJD leaders as it had no representation in the cabinet. Nayak is known for his organisational skills and can counter the BJP in the district.
However, a decision is yet to be taken on the next speaker, though speculation is rife that it will go to a woman leader. But names of several senior leaders including Prafulla Samal, Debi Prasad Mishra, Amar Prasad Satpathy and Badri Narayan Patra are also doing the rounds for the post.