Cuttack: Amid celebrations in several districts that got representation in the newly-formed Cabinet of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi who assumed charge Wednesday, people in Cuttack are feeling left out as the district didn’t find a place in the Council of Ministers. According to reports, there were speculations earlier over one or two MLAs from Cuttack district getting berths in the Majhi Cabinet, but now all hopes have been dashed. Of the six Assembly seats in the district– Barabati-Cuttack, Choudwar-Cuttack, Cuttack Sadar, Baramba, Banki and Athagarh –, Prakash Chandra Sethi of BJP has emerged victorious by defeating former MLA Chandrasarathi Behera of BJD in Cuttack Sadar. Similarly, saffron party candidate from Niali, Chhabi Malik defeated BJD’s Pramod Kumar Mallick. However, neither Sethi nor Malik managed to secure a berth in the newly formed Cabinet.
Likewise, Sarada Prasad Pradhan and Bijay Kumar Dalabehera, both Independent candidates, won the election from Mahanga and Baramba Assembly seats, respectively, in the district. Though BJP had set its eyes on these candidates before the announcement of results, none of them was considered for ministerial berth. Sources said there was enough scope for inclusion of Prakash Chandra Sethi in the Cabinet, but due to some unknown reasons, this could not materialise. Though Orissa Post tried to contact Sethi over the issue, he was not available for comments. A cursory glance at Cuttack’s representation in the state’s council of ministers in the past reveals several inclusions. Eminent personalities like Nandini Satpathy and Biren Mitra had won the Cuttack seat and were sworn in as Chief Ministers.
Similarly, former CM Janaki Ballabh Patnaik contested from Athagarh Assembly seat and won twice. Likewise, Biju Patnaik became the Chief Minister for the first time after winning the Choudwar Assembly seat. Several MLAs from Cuttack district like Pratap Jena, Debi Prasad Mishra, Ranendra Pratap Swain and Chandrasarathi Behera have got berths in the Naveen Patnaik government in the last 24 years. However, the decision of the newly-formed BJP government to ignore Cuttack has come as a disappointment to many