Team Orissa In Newly Elected Govt at Delhi

Dr. Manmohan Singh has been sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India for a second time in a row. He along with his 19 Cabinet Ministers took oath at the Ashoka Hall, Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening. Dr. Singh included only the old war horses into the Cabinet, ignoring some of the key states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa and Uttarakhand. As a bigger Cabinet expansion is scheduled for next week, Orissa expects at least two ministers from the state.

In Orissa, the Congress lost the Assebly elections to Naveen Patnaik wave. But the party did reasonably well, by winning 6 Lok Sabha seats, as compared to just 2 won in 2004. Heavyweight leaders like Bhakta Charan Das, Srikant Jena, Hemananda Biswal and Amarnath Pradhan won the elections this time.

Bhakta Charan Das, who won by a landslide margin from Kalahandi this time, is the most deserving candidate from Orissa to get a Cabinet Minister berth. Bhakta has already served as Railway Minister at the Centre. His long experience, able administration and clean image, may help him win Dr. Manmohan Singh's trust. Kalahandi is the most backward district in Orissa and probably in the country. A Minister from this region, may help the Congress to gain further ground in the state.

Former Union Minister Srikant Jena, who defied all odds within his own party and the BJD wave in coastal areas to emerge victorious from the Balasore Lok Sabha seat, is also a front runner to get a Ministerial berth.

Former Orissa CM Hemananda Biswal, who beat former Union Minister and State BJP President Juel Oram in Sudargarh, is not far behind. He also enjoyed the tribal status, which may work in his favour.

Indian Youth Congress Secretary Pradeep Kumar Majhi, who won from Nabarangpur Parliamentary constituency, also stands a chance because of his youth, clean image, charismatic personality and leadership qualities. Even though he is a first time MP, his achievements as the Zilla Parishad President and Indian Youth Congress Secretary, may win him at least a MoS berth. He is also a tribal leader.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh must allocate at least two Ministerial berths to Orissa so that the state gets it due representation. The Congress should think about its long term prospects in the state. Only such people should be chosen as Ministers, who can take the party to the next level in the state.