Serving People My Only Agenda: Majhi

IN a freewheeling chat with editorial director of The New Indian Express Prabhu Chawla at the Odisha Literary Festival, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi discussed politics, his development ideas, progress of industrialisation in Odisha and other issues.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar

Excerpts:

How did you overcome the fear of becoming a successful CM after taking over from Naveen Patnaik? Considering the obvious comparisons with your predecessor.

I was not in government and I had not become a minister as my party had not won an election before 2024. But I have a long experience in politics. I got into politics in 1992 when I was a student. Unlike others in my college who were busy in students' union affairs, I was into proper politics. I was defeated when I contested election for the first time, like Bhima in Mahabharata. And like Bhima, I was also never defeated again. I became a sarpanch, then MLA and now I am the chief minister. However, whether one may be in power or not, serving people can take him or her a long way in politics.

You have been associated with the RSS. How have you now balanced Hindutva with the development plank?