Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik asks whole Cabinet to resign, new staff prone to take oath on Sunday

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: In an unprecedented transfer, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requested his whole Cabinet to resign on Saturday, setting off speculations concerning the political recreation plan of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) authorities forward of the 2024 basic elections.

A day after the Supreme Court judgement which went in favour of the Odisha Government within the Sri Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor challenge, Naveen dropped the bomb by asking all his 20 ministers to tender their resignation. Even Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly Surjya Narayan Patra resigned.

Some of the incumbent ministers confirmed that they had been requested to place of their papers whereas MLAs – new faces in addition to old-timers – are reported to have acquired calls to remain put in Bhubaneswar. The swearing-in ceremony is prone to happen on Sunday at 11.45 am at Lok Seva Bhawan.

Sources although stated Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal has not acquired any formal intimation from the Government but. He is at the moment in Puri and can return to Bhubaneswar by night.

This is the most important ever overhaul affected by Naveen in his 22-year tenure as Chief Minister. While the Cabinet reshuffle was within the offing, the whole overhaul has taken his personal get together in addition to political pundits utterly without warning, which in a means has been the signature fashion of the Biju Janata Dal boss. Political sources stated the get together was apparently ready for the Supreme Court verdict on the Srimandir Parikrama Project in addition to the Brajarajnagar by-poll outcome to have an effect on the overhaul.

ALSO READ | Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s assembly with PM Modi sparks hypothesis on Presidential election

Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro’s resignation has fuelled hypothesis that he could also be re-inducted as a cabinet minister or drafted for organisational work within the get together. Most of the prevailing ministers, barring half a dozen of them, are unlikely to be thought of for re-induction into the Cabinet. Some of the ministers may even be requested to offer time for organisational work.

Sources stated that the Chief Minister goes for a generational change within the Cabinet by inducting a number of new faces with none expertise within the authorities. The ministry reshuffle was lengthy pending due to the Covid pandemic adopted by the Rajya Sabha elections and Brajrajnagar by-poll. While a few of the ministers have been proven the door for placing the federal government in an embarrassing state of affairs, some will probably be dropped for his or her lacklustre efficiency.

Ministers together with Law and Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena, Forest and Environment Bikram Keshari Arukha and Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra had been embroiled in controversies which confirmed the federal government in a poor mild publish the 2019 polls. Though the get together and authorities supported the ministers in the course of the disaster interval, the get together managers had been on the lookout for an opportune second to drop them from the ministry.

Earlier on May 6, 2017, the Chief Minister had requested ten ministers out of the 20 in his cabinet to resign and focus on get together work. Five of the ministers who had resigned had additionally been given district cost to arrange the get together for the 2019 elections.

There was additionally rumbling within the get together about the necessity to refurbish the picture of the federal government earlier than the 2024 election. Notwithstanding the BJD’s record-breaking efficiency in each the not too long ago held panchayat and concrete native physique (ULB) election, it was felt {that a} new staff ought to take over forward of the final elections.