Samal travels to Delhi amid state cabinet expansion buzz
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Bhubaneswar: BJP state president Manmohan Samal, accompanied by party general secretary (organisation) Manas Mohanty, travelled to Delhi on Tuesday amid speculations about an impending expansion of the council of ministers in the state.
The visit, which comes a day after CM Mohan Charan Majhi met governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, added further fuel to the expansion buzz.
Sources said Samal is expected to engage in high-level discussions with the central leadership, including BJP president J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. The agenda is likely to be the formation of new teams — both within the council of ministers and the party organisation — as Samal prepares to appoint new party office-bearers following his recent reappointment as state BJP chief.
Speculation is rife that chief minister Majhi, in consultation with Samal, may introduce new faces in his ministerial team while dropping some current ministers.
This reshuffle is aimed at rejuvenating the team and strengthen the party's grassroots connections ahead of the panchayat elections in early 2027.
Monday's meeting between the CM and the governor, coupled with the Kambhampati's social media post about "ways to strengthen governance", is being interpreted as a strong indication of a potential cabinet expansion.
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This development is seen as a strategic move to address recent challenges faced by the Majhi govt, including issues related to women's safety and public trust.
Majhi announced stringent measures against perpetrators and introduced the Shaktishree scheme to enhance women's safety on campuses. A cabinet reshuffle could provide the govt with a renewed mandate to address these pressing issues and regain public confidence.
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