Odisha: Swearing-in ceremony of first BJP govt postponed to June 12, suspense remains over CM pick
Bhubaneswar, Jun 9: The swearing-in ceremony for the first BJP government in Odisha has been rescheduled from June 10 to June 12, party leaders Jatin Mohanty and Vijaypal Singh Tomar confirmed here on Sunday.
Mohanty explained that the postponement was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitments.
Modi will be busy with his own swearing-in ceremony on Sunday and meeting party MPs the following day. Additionally, the first legislature party meeting of the newly elected members is now set for June 11.
During the election campaign, Modi had said Odisha’s first BJP government would be sworn in on June 10. BJP state president Manmohan Samal had also confirmed this on Saturday.
However, the decision to change the date was taken on Sunday, party sources said.
Meanwhile, suspense still remains over the new chief minister. Senior BJP leader and newly elected MLA Suresh Pujari rushed to New Delhi, triggering speculation that he may be among the main contenders for the top post, sources said.
Pujari, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bargarh in the 2019 polls, won the recent election from Brajarajnagar assembly constituency. His supporters believe he was called to New Delhi for discussions with central leaders.
While the BJP central leadership is yet to zero in on any leader for the CM post, Odisha party unit president Manmohan Samal on Saturday told reporters to wait for two more days for a clear picture to emerge.
After returning from New Delhi, Samal said the parliamentary board of BJP would take a decision on the chief minister at its meeting.
The BJP secured a comfortable majority in the 147-member Assembly, winning 78 seats. The party went to the elections under the leadership of Modi without naming a chief ministerial candidate.
Meanwhile, preparations are on to organise the oath-taking ceremony at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar.
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Delhi CM Atishi may be arrested in fake case: Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi (PTI): AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Wednesday that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi may be arrested in a "fake" case by the central investigative agencies at the behest of the BJP.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal, who was flanked by Atishi, said, "We got to know from our sources that a meeting was held and investigative agencies have been ordered by the BJP to arrest CM Atishi in a fake case."
The BJP is trying to distract AAP from campaigning for assembly polls, he alleged.
"We came to know that they are preparing a fake case on Atishi in the transport department, and they want to halt the scheme of free bus rides for women," the AAP chief said.
"I will not let the scheme of free bus rides for women stop till I am alive," Kejriwal, who is out on bail in a case related to excise policy 'scam', asserted.
The former Delhi chief minister, in a post on X, also alleged that the BJP was rattled by AAP's Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana.
His remarks came as the Delhi government's Women and Child Development and Health departments issued public notices on Wednesday distancing themselves from the ruling AAP's promised schemes of providing Rs 2,100 to women and free treatment for the elderly, triggering a fresh row ahead of assembly polls.
The two departments also cautioned the people against providing personal details to anyone on the pretext of registration for "non-existent" schemes, saying any private individual or political party collecting such physical forms or information is "fraudulent and without any authority".
Led by Kejriwal, AAP leaders recently launched the exercise of registering people for the two schemes with much fanfare.
Atishi said at the press conference that strict action will be taken against Women and Child Development Department officers for issuing a public notice against Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana.
