Naveen Patnaik Sworn-in for Third Time as CM
With swearing-in of the new state government headed by Naveen Patnaik, BJD has become the first regional party to come to power on its own in Orissa.
At a glittering ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, 62-year-old Patnaik, the first leader to become chief minister for the third consecutive term in the state, and other ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor M C Bhandare.
Eleven of the ministers are of cabinet rank, while nine are ministers of state.
The cabinet ministers include Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Damodar Rout, Ananga Udaya Singh Deo, Surya Narayan Patra, Raghunath Mohanty, Prasanna Acharya, Pramila Mallick, Prafulla Samal, Bikram Keshari Arukh, Debi Prasad Mishra and Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, a first-time minister.
Of the ministers of state, except Sanjib Sahu, the others – Sarada Prasad Nayak, Pushpendra Singh Deo, Ramesh Majhi, Pratap Jena, Prabin Chandra Bhanja Deo, Atanu Sabyasachi, Badrinarayan Patra and Anjali Behera are first-time ministers.
Bhanja Deo, a scion of the erstwhile Mayurbhanj royal family, has been elected to the assembly from the newly-created Morada constituency.
