Bhubaneswar: Visible flutter set in the existing order today signalling a ministry reshuffle likely to come any time soon.
The most noticeable shake up came after the ruling party BJD effected a major rejig in the party organization. As many as 5 ministers -Debi Mishra, Arun Sahoo, Sanjay Dasburma, Pradeep Panigrahy, Pranab Prakash Das- were offered organizational charges. Among other changes, the party appointed as many as nine leaders including the aforementioned five as party observers for 11 districts.
Earlier, in another such move, Speaker Niranjan Pujari visited the Odisha Assembly to tender his resignation to the deputy speaker, Sananda Marandi. Though Niranjan didn’t divulge the reasons behind his resignation, he said he wants to devote more time towards his constituency. Niranjan is being touted as one of the possible entrants in the reshuffled ministry.
In another development, ministers Sanjay Das Burma and Pranab Prakash Dash reportedly visited the Secretariat today to meet CM Naveen Patnaik. Both Sanjay and Pranab are among the ones who are speculated to lose their berths in the ministry to make way for new faces.
“Everyone will come to know once any decision is made. The media is unnecessarily getting desperate,” said Law and Panchayatiraj minister Arun Sahoo.
Similarly, Excise minister Damodar Rout said he has no information about any reshuffle and neither any scope of knowing till the decisions are communicated.
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On the other hand BJD’s Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda had also tweeted “Major changes afoot, likely the biggest shakeup in party/govt positions since at least 2009 if not longer.”
Sources informed that there is every likelihood of a reshuffle announcement tomorrow after governor SC Jamir retruns from vacation.
According to political observers the reorganisation could see names like Pranab Prakash Das, Arun Sahoo, Sanjay Dasburma and veteran Debi Mishra being asked to look after grassroots level where the party needs boost.
While many believe that if it comes down to performance then ministers- Lal Bihari Himirika, Jogendra Behera, Snehangini Churia, Sudam Marandi and Puspendra Singhdeo might face the axe.