Speaker resigns, 2 mins dropped as Naveen plans mini-reshuffle

BHUBANESWAR: With an eye on simultaneous Lok Sabha and state polls in 2024, chief minister Naveen Patnaik is planning to reshuffle his council of ministers to infuse fresh impetus to his team.
Seeking a clean image for his council, Naveen on Friday dropped two ministers of state with independent charge - Samir Ranjan Dash (school and mass education) and Srikanta Sahu (labour) -who have courted controversies in recent months.
Two-time MLA Srikanta faced allegations of sexual harassment and three-time legislator Samir's role has been questioned in connection with a BJD zilla parishad member, Dharmendra Sahoo's suicide in September last year.
BJD lost the ZP bypoll necessitated by Sahoo's death in Puri district earlier this month.
Though there is no clarity yet on the date of reshuffle, Naveen who is currently in Delhi till Saturday, may undertake the exercise within the next few days.
Governor Ganeshi Lal, currently in Haryana till May 22, may come back to Bhubaneswar ahead of the event.
Sources said Naveen may induct three new faces in the council for a 22-member team, two to replace the two ministers who were dropped and one in place of slain minister Naba Kisore Das, who was murdered on January 29.
Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha resigned from the post on Friday and is likely to return to Naveen's council.
Though Arukha cited personal reasons while announcing his resignation, his jubilant mood and articulation that he is ready to perform whatever new role is given to him, either in the government or in the party, was seen as enough hint of his imminent return.
Arukha, a six-time MLA representing Bhanjanagar assembly seat in Naveen's home district Ganjam had taken over as speaker less than a year ago in June last year after SN Patro stepped down. Arukha had been a minister in Naveen Patnaik's council continuously since 2009 till 2022 and held important portfolios such as law, environment and forests and parliamentary affairs.
After Srikanta, who represents Polasara in Ganjam district was asked to go, the council has only another minister (Usha Devi) from Ganjam now, making Arukha's return certain.
Speculation of Rourkela MLA Sarada Nayak either becoming a minister or the next speaker is doing the rounds. The three-time MLA, who was a minister from 2009 to 2012, emerges as a contender as his home district Sundargarh has no representation in the current council of ministers now.