Biju Janata Dal today became the first regional party to come to power on its own in Orissa when a 21-member ministry headed by Naveen Patnaik was sworn in.
62-year-old Patnaik, the first leader to become chief minister for the third consecutive term, and other ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor M C Bhandare at a glittering ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.
Eleven of the ministers are of cabinet rank, while nine are ministers of state.
The cabinet ministers are Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Damodar Rout, Ananga Udaya Singh Deo, Surya Narayan Patra, Raghunath Mohanty, Prasanna Acharya, Pramila Mallick, Prafulla Samal, Bikram Keshari Arukh, Debi Prasad Mishra and Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, a first-time minister.
Of the ministers of state, except Sanjib Sahu, the others -- Sarada Prasad Nayak, Pushpendra Singh Deo, Ramesh Majhi, Pratap Jena, Prabin Chandra Bhanja Deo, Atanu Sabyasachi, Badrinarayan Patra and Anjali Behera are first-time ministers.
Bhanja Deo, a scion of the erstwhile Mayurbhanj royal family, has been elected to the assembly from the newly-created Morada constituency.
