Bhubaneswar: A personal tragedy on Tuesday soured the glorious moments of Odisha CM-designate Mohan Charan Majhi, who was seen visibly upset despite the momentous occasion of being elected to head the State.
Chandan Mohapatra, who officiated as the personal assistant during his stint as Chief Whip, BJP Legislature Party from 2019, died in a road accident on Tuesday. Majhi, who had excellent bonding with his assistant, rushed to government-run Capital Hospital and was heartbroken to find him declared dead.
Paying tribute to the departed soul, he made it a point to attend the last rites of the man he liked at Satya Nagar crematorium in the city. Many found him distraught when he entered the BJP headquarters to attend the legislative party meeting.
From a humble beginning as a Sarpanch to becoming BJP’s first Chief Minister, the political journey of 52-year-old Mohan Charan Majhi symbolizes classic case of grass root politics. A teacher in a private school, Mr Majhi had switched over to politics to become Sarpanch. Mr Majhi, hailing from a nondescript Raikala village of Keonjhar district belongs to Santhal scheduled tribe community, literally meaning calm and peaceful man.
However Majhi, as the Opposition Chief Whip in the outgoing Assembly, was found in sharp contrast to the verbatim meaning of the community he belonged to.
Despite Naveen Patnaik government enjoying brute majority, he took active part in the Assembly proceedings and had left the outgoing government scurrying for cover as his attack on the corruption and maladministration was blistering to say the least, said analysts.
They said that Mr Manjhi’s performance in the assembly debates had drawn the attention of BJP top leaders, who envisioned leadership qualities in the tribal MLA.
“Odisha people had voted in favour of BJP to unseat the corrupt and unpopular BJD Government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to the voters of Odisha to vote for BJP and had pledged to make Odisha the No.-1 State of the Country. I will work hard to fulfill the promise of the prime minister in transforming Odisha into No.-1 State,” four-time MLA and CM-elect Majhi said after his name was announced for the Chief Minister’s post.
As per the poll affidavit, three criminal cases are pending against Mr Majhi, also a Law Graduate. He was elected as an MLA from Keonjhar (ST) seat in 2000, 2009, 2019 and 2024. He performed the function of Government Deputy Chief Whip in 13th Assembly and Chief Whip, BJP Legislature Party 2019 to till date. Besides, he was the Chairman, Public Account Committee, 2022-till date.
Apart from this, he was appointed as member of different important Odisha Legislative Assembly Committees since 2000.