Suresh Pujari Emerges as Frontrunner for Odisha Chief Minister Amid BJP Deliberations

BHUBANESWAR: The competition for the chief ministerial position in Odisha has intensified, with Brajarajnagar MLA Suresh Pujari leading the race. This development follows the induction of Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram into Prime Minister Modi’s new Cabinet, which has reshuffled the list of prime contenders.The BJP has rescheduled the swearing-in ceremony to June 12, ostensibly to build a consensus on the leadership decision. Officially, the delay is attributed to the Prime Minister’s engagements.Despite losing the Chandabali assembly election, BJP’s state president Manmohan Samal remains a key contender, alongside two-time MLA Mukesh Mahaling and four-time legislator Rabi Naik, both from BJP’s western Odisha stronghold.Pujari, who served as Bargarh’s Lok Sabha representative from 2019 until the recent election, is a lawyer by profession and was BJP’s state president from 2006 to 2009, a period during which he significantly expanded the party’s influence.Samal, 65, is considered due to his role in BJP’s victory over BJD. His supporters liken his situation to that of Pushkar Singh Dhami, who became Uttarakhand’s CM despite losing his assembly race.Mahaling, a 51-year-old SC representative with ties to the RSS, retired from his role as a scientist at the state pollution control board in 2019 to enter politics. He has just secured his second term from Loisingha.