Odisha cabinet reshuffle likely on Monday

Amid speculations following the resignations of the Odisha Assembly Speaker and two ministers, talks in the power corridor are now abuzz that the State may go for a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday.

If sources are to be believed, then the new ministers are likely to take oath at 9:30 AM on Monday at the convention hall of the Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

At present, three ministerial berths are lying vacant in the State cabinet.      

According to sources, the Governor, Professor Ganeshi Lal, who is in Haryana and scheduled to return on May 22, is reportedly cutting-short his visit and coming back to Odisha tomorrow.

Those who will take charge as minister will get a call from Chief Minister’s office tomorrow evening, sources informed.

Meanwhile, the name of Dipali Das, daughter of murdered minister & BJD leader Naba Das, has surfaced in the race for a ministerial berth. Besides, speculations are rife that, apart from Dipali, Susanta Singh and Sarada Nayak from western Odisha are in the race too.

Similarly, senior leaders like Debi Mishra, Prasanta Muduli, Bikram Keshari Arukha, Umakanta Samantaray, and Byomkesh Ray from the coastal belt are among the frontrunners for a ministerial berth.

On the other hand, Amar Satapathy, Shashi Bhusan Behera, Debi Prasad Mishra, Prafulla Samal, and Niranjan Pujari are in the race for the Assembly Speaker position.

Notably, Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash, and Labour Minister Srikant Sahu had tendered their resignation on May 12th hinting toward a probable reshuffle in the Cabinet.