Odisha is all set to witness the swearing-in of its first-ever BJP government at Janata Maidan, with senior officials overseeing the preparations. A crowd of at least five thousand is expected to witness the ceremony which marks a significant political shift in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-formed BJP government. Earlier, Modi had announced that Odisha’s swearing-in ceremony would be held on June 10, and the “son of the soil” would be sworn in as the chief minister of the state.

Recalling BJP’s spectacular results in Odisha, Modi has said that the state would be one of the growth engines of the country’s “Vikash Yatra” in the next five years.

With just three days remaining until the swearing-in ceremony, the spotlight intensifies on the potential chief minister of Odisha. Speculation is rife, with social media abuzz with names such as former union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, senior MLAs KV Singh Deo, Jay Narayan Mishra, Suresh Pujari, Surama Padhi and even Comptroller and Auditor General Girish Chandra Murmu.

“But given the numbers of MPs in Lok Sabha, the party will not take a chance to ask any MPs to vacate and take the mantle of the chief minister. What haunts the BJP is that even if an MP resigns and takes over the mantle, it would be difficult for him to get elected to the Odisha assembly again after six months, which is mandatory, and for the BJP to win that Lok Sabha seat, keeping in mind the overwhelming sympathy that Naveen, seems to be a tough task. It won’t take that chance,” said a political observer.