Newly-appointed Odisha Governor Raghubar Das takes blessings of elder sister

A day after his appointment as the Governor of Odisha, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, Raghubar Das took the blessings of his elder sister on Thursday. The 68-year-old BJP stalwart who is currently one of the vice presidents of the BJP will replace incumbent Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal.

As per tradition, his elder sister ignited diyas (lamps) and applied chandan (sandalwood) and vermilion on the forehead of Raghubar Das, as a mark of joy and love ahead of his new journey as the Governor of Odisha. 

On the other hand, BJP functionaries and frontline leaders of Jharkhand greeted him with bouquets at his residence. They wished him success in the new role.

Speaking to the media, Raghubar Das expressed his gratitude to the Central BJP leadership for finding him eligible for a constitutional post like the Governor of a state.    
Recalling the struggling days of his political career, he said, “I am lucky. I was a mere worker of Tata Steel unit at Jamshedpur. Starting my career as a people’s representative and discharging my duty in various capacities as legislator and minister, I had the privilege of serving the people of Jharkhand as the chief minister from 2014 till 2019.”

He further added, "I express my gratitude to the Central leadership of my party as a mere worker was picked for the constitutional post like Governor. This will be a completely new experience for me to look after a constitutional post, as it is different from the experience that I gained as a legislator while serving people.”

“Our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid importance on the federal structure of the country. Emphasizing on Team India, he has always wanted the development of the country as well as the states,” he observed.

Moreover, the former Jharkhand Chief Minister exuded confidence for Odisha’s development, saying, “The state government led by popular Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has been serving the state for several years, will reach new heights of development in line with Team India.”         

It is worth mentioning that Das will replace incumbent Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal.
Das served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand from 2014 to 2019 when President Droupadi Murmu was Governor from 2015 till 2021.