Three Union Ministers and two BJP central leaders stayed in Puri for two days till Saturday to oversee the Nabakalebar Rath Yatra on behalf of the Centre. BJP State president KV Singh Deo thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah for sending the Ministers.
Union Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mahesh Sharma, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Petroleum and Natural Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and two other party leaders, BJP Odisha-in-charge Arun Singh and national assistant organising secretary Shiv Prakash, were in Puri for the festival.