In a historic achievement, Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, Sundargarh MP Jual Oram, and Rajya Sabha MP Ashwini Vaishnaw from Odisha have been appointed as Union cabinet ministers in the Modi government 3.0. This marks the first time three MPs from Odisha have secured Cabinet berths following the BJP’s landmark victory in the state, winning 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in the assembly election.

During Modi’s second term, Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw, both Rajya Sabha members, served in the Cabinet, while Lok Sabha members Pratap Sarangi (2019-2021) and Bishweswar Tudu (2021-2024) served as ministers of state at different times. Jual Oram, who has previously served as Union Cabinet minister twice, was assigned the tribal affairs ministry under Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 and was re-inducted in 2014 under Modi, once again managing the tribal affairs portfolio. Dharmendra Pradhan has held key portfolios such as Petroleum and Natural Gas, Education, and Skill Development during his previous terms. Ashwini Vaishnaw, in Modi’s second term, managed crucial portfolios including Railways, Communications, and Electronics and IT.