Mohan Charan Majhi (IPA: [mohɔnɔ t͡ʃɔɾɔɳɔ mad͡ʒʱi] ; born 6 January 1972) is an Indian politician, currently serving as the 15th Chief Minister of Odisha. He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Keonjhar in the 2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly election as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also represented the same constituency from 2000 to 2009 and from 2019 to 2024. He served as the chief whip of the BJP in the Odisha assembly from 2019 to 2024. In the year 1997, he entered politics as a Sarpanch.

Mohan Charan Majhi
15th Chief Minister of Odisha
Assumed office
12 June 2024
GovernorRaghubar Das
DeputyKanak Vardhan Singh Deo
Pravati Parida
Preceded byNaveen Patnaik
Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
23 May 2019
Preceded byAbhiram Naik
ConstituencyKeonjhar
In office
2000–2009
Preceded byJogendra Naik
Succeeded bySubarna Naik
ConstituencyKeonjhar
Personal details
Born (1972-01-06) 6 January 1972 (age 52)
Raikala, Odisha, India
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party
SpousePriyanka Marandi
Children2 (Including Prem Anand Majhi)
Residence(s)Keonjhar, Odisha, India
Alma materChandra Sekhar College, Champua (BA)
Dhenkanal Law College (LLB)
Profession
Source: odishaassembly.nic.in

Early and personal life

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Mohan Charan Majhi was born on 6 January 1972 in Raikala village of Keonjhar district.[1][2] His father Gunaram Majhi worked as a Peon in Govt secondary school.[3] His family belongs to the Santal tribal community.[4][5] He did his schooling Jhumpura High School in 1987 and completed his higher secondary from Anadapur College in 1990. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree from Chandra Sekhar College, Champua and LLB from Dhenkanal Law College. He worked as a teacher (Guruji) at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Jhumpura, part of a network of schools run by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).[2][6] He is married to Priyanka Marandi.[7]

Political career

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Majhi served as a village sarpanch of Raikala panchayat from 1997 till 2000.[8] He serves as the secretary of the tribal wing of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 1997.[1] Majhi was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly for the first time from Keonjhar in 2000.[9] He was re-elected in 2004 and served as the deputy chief whip of the government from 2005 to 2009.[10][11] Majhi lost the assembly elections in 2009 and 2014, but won from the same constituency in 2019. With the BJP becoming the principal opposition party, Majhi was appointed the party's chief whip.[12] He was also a member of standing committee of scheduled castes and tribes and the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the State from 2022 to 2024.[13][14]

On 10 October 2021, two crude bombs were hurled at Majhi's car near Mandua in Kendujhar district. There was minor damage to his car while Majhi himself escaped without injuries.[15][16] In September 2023, Majhi was suspended from the Odisha assembly by then speaker Pramila Mallik for throwing dal on her podium, while protesting against the alleged scam in procurement of various pulses by the government.[17][18]

In the 2024 assembly elections, Majhi won the Keonjhar seat for the fourth time. The BJP secured a majority with 79 of 147 seats in the Odisha assembly, and Majhi was appointed Chief Minister of Odisha on 11 June 2024.[19] He was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister the following day, succeeding Naveen Patnaik, who had held the position since March 2000[20][21][22] and who had been the longest-serving Chief Minister in India. Majhi was the first person from the Santal tribe community and the third person of tribal origin, after Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang, to become Chief Minister of Odisha.[23]

Electoral statistics

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Year Constituency Votes % Result Ref
2000 Keonjhar 51,449 59.08 Won [24]
2004 46,146 40.14 Won [25]
2009 29,202 24.29 Lost [26]
2014 47,283 30.31 Lost [27]
2019 72,760 42.10 Won [28]
2024 87,815 47.05 Won [29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Shri Mohan Charan Majhi". Odisha Assembly. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Meet Mohan Charan Majhi, who will replace Naveen Patnaik as the new Odisha CM". CNBC. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Mohan Majhi, A Security Guard's Son Who Will Be Odisha Chief Minister". NDTV. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  4. ^ "'First job after taking oath is to work to protect Odisha's asmita', says CM-designate". The Times of India. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Bio-data of Present Member of Legislative Assembly in Orissa 2004" (PDF). Government of Odisha. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  6. ^ "From Shishu Mandir teacher and sarpanch to Odisha's 1st BJP CM — who is Mohan Charan Majhi". The Print. 15 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Never thought that my husband will become CM: Mohan Majhi's wife". The Hindu. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  8. ^ Kumar, Abhijeet (13 June 2024). "Who is Mohan Charan Majhi? Key details about Odisha's 15th Chief Minister". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Tribal Leader Mohan Majhi Is Odisha's New CM: 5 Things You Need To Know About This 4-Time MLA". News18. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Who is Mohan Charan Majhi, BJP's first Odisha CM". The Times of India. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Profile of Mohan Charan Majhi, Keonjhar, Odisha Vidhan Sabha Constituency, Odisha". Odisha Helpline. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  12. ^ "BJP appoints Bishnu Sethi as Deputy leader, Mohan Majhi as Chief whip". UNI. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Odisha's first BJP CM, Deputy CMs to take oath today: Who are Mohan Charan Majhi, K V Singh Deo, Pravati Parida?". The Indian Express. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  14. ^ Chattopadhyay, Suhrid Sankar (13 June 2024). "Mohan Charan Majhi's rise as Chief Minister of Odisha highlights BJP's focus on tribal consolidation and breaking feudal patterns". Frontline. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  15. ^ Sharma, Vikash (10 October 2021). "Bombs Hurled At Odisha BJP MLA Mohan Majhi's Car In Keonjhar". Odisha TV. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  16. ^ "3 arrested for attacking Keonjhar MLA Mohan Charan Majhi". Orissa Post. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  17. ^ Pradhan, Ashok (29 September 2023). "Speaker suspends 2 BJP MLAs for 'throwing dal' in Odisha assembly". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  18. ^ "2 Odisha BJP MLAs Throw Pulses At Speaker In Assembly, Suspended". NDTV. 28 September 2023. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Pleasant surprise for family of Odisha CM designate Mohan Charan majhi". The New Indian Express. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Odisha CM oath-taking ceremony: BJP leader Mohan Majhi new Odisha CM, to take oath today". The Hindu. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Former teacher to Odisha Chief Minister: How Mohan Majhi climbed political ladder". India Today. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Odisha's new CM — who is Mohan Charan Majhi and what prompted the BJP to choose him". CNBC TV18. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  23. ^ Mishra, Ashutosh (12 June 2024). "An RSS Hardliner, Mohan Majhi Has Risen Through Party Ranks to Become Odisha CM". The Wire. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  24. ^ Statistical Report on General election to Odisha Assembly, 2000 (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  25. ^ Statistical Report on General election to Odisha Assembly, 2004 (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  26. ^ Statistical Report on General election to Odisha Assembly, 2009 (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. ^ Statistical Report on General election to Odisha Assembly, 2014 (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  28. ^ Statistical Report on General election to Odisha Assembly, 2019 (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  29. ^ Odisha 2024 assembly elections results (Report). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
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Political offices
Preceded by Chief Minister of Odisha
12 June 2024
Incumbent