Odisha CM Mohan Majhi invites PM Modi to attend Ratha Yatra, first anniversary of BJP govt in state

By Rupashree Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, May 26: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has formally extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace this year’s Ratha Yatra celebrations in Puri, as well as to attend the event marking the first anniversary of the BJP government in Odisha.

Informing this, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said on Sunday that invitations have also been sent to Union home minister Amit Shah, several Union ministers, and Chief Ministers of all states governed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Parida, who returned to Bhubaneswar after a visit to New Delhi, told reporters at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, “Our Chief Minister has personally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the grand Ratha Yatra festival and to take part in the celebration marking one year of the BJP-led government in Odisha. The Prime Minister is likely to consider the invitation positively. Invitations have also been extended to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, other Union Ministers, and Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states.”

The Ratha Yatra, Odisha’s most celebrated religious event, is scheduled to be held on June 27 this year. The annual chariot festival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra draws lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in the country.

With the recent formation of the BJP government in Odisha, the festival is expected to witness even greater national significance this year, especially with the possible presence of top central leaders.

“The people of Odisha are eagerly looking forward to welcoming national leaders for this spiritually significant and culturally unifying event,” said Parida, adding that such occasions reinforce both religious harmony and political camaraderie.

The BJP, which registered a historic victory in the 2024 Assembly elections, is also planning to mark the first anniversary of its government with a series of public outreach programmes and celebratory events. The dual occasion of Ratha Yatra and the government’s anniversary promises to offer both devotional fervour and a political showcase for the party’s governance milestones in the state.