Optimistic of the BJP-led NDA forming Government at the Centre after the May 16 counting of the votes in the general elections, the saffron party’s leaders in Odisha appear to be hoping a lot for them.
A group of leaders who are yet to be declared as the winners in the elections are expecting that they would get a berth in the Union Ministry to be formed by Narendra Modi. The happiest among the Odisha lot is Dharmendra Pradhan, a national general secretary of the party who is now a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar, party sources said. Pradhan refrained from fighting the lok Sabha polls from his native State Odisha this time.
Among the other frontrunners from the State for Union Ministerial berths is Jual Oram, who has contested from the Sundergarh lok Sabha seat. Since Oram was a member of the Vajpayee Ministry, he hopes to get another chance to become a Minister.
The party’s Dhenkanal Parliamentary constituency candidate Rudra Narayan Pany is another aspirant for a Ministerial position. He was earlier a Rajya Sabha MP. Former BJP State president Suresh Pujari, who has contested from the Sambalpur lok Sabha seat, also hopes to get a place in the expected Modi Ministry. Pujari has never so far been elected to lok Sabha or State Assembly.
Incumbent BJP State President KV Singh Deo’s wife Sangeeta Singh Deo, the party nominee for the Balangir lS seat, is also reportedly hopeful of getting a berth in the Union Ministry. She has been an MP from Balangir twice earlier. Since her husband is the party’s State unit chief, she stands a fair chance at the Centre if she wins this time and if the party posts spectacular electoral results in the State as its leaders are claiming.