Mohan Majhi, A Security Guard’s Son Who Will Be Odisha Chief Minister

After 24 years of the BJD’s Naveen Patnaik as the chief minister, Odisha is set to see a new leader at the helm with the BJP naming Mohan Majhi as its pick. Mr Majhi will take oath as the chief minister tomorrow.

Here are five points on Mohan Majhi:

1. Mr Majhi was born in Raikala village in Keonjhar district. He is the son of a security guard.
2. He was the village head between 1997 and 2000 and was the general secretary of the BJP’s Odisha ST (Scheduled Tribes) Morcha before being elected as an MLA from Keonjhar in 2000.
3. The 52-year-old has won from the seat four times, including the Assembly elections this year, in which his vote margin was 11,577. He holds a law degree.
4. The chief minister-designate is a strong tribal voice in Odisha and is known for his organisational skills. He was also the chief whip in the outgoing Odisha legislative assembly. 
5. In his first reaction after he was named the chief minister, Mr Majhi said: “Due to the blessings of Lord Jagannath, the BJP achieved a majority in Odisha and is going to form the government in the state. I would like to thank the 4.5 crore Odias who voted for change.”