Odisha is considered to have been given much less representation than expected in the Modi Ministry although eight BJP MPs have been elected from the State.
Dharmendra Pradhan is the only Cabinet-rank Minister from the State though he is not elected from the State and is a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh. In the last Cabinet, Jual Oram was another member from the State. Oram, elected from Sundargarh by a margin of over two lakh votes, was not this time included in the team.
Baleswar MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi is also the only one from the State to get a berth as Minister of State in the Union Ministry.
Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi was not made a member of the Ministry contrary to speculations.
Political observers expect that more Odisha BJP MPs may be inducted into the Ministry when it is expanded in future.
