Bhubaneswar, Oct 18: Newly appointed Odisha Governor Braj Mohan Ram will take oath of office and secrecy at Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Abhishek Hall at 11 am, with around 600 guests expected to attend.

Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, Justice Harish Tandon, will administer the oath. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, ministers and senior government officials are scheduled to attend the ceremony.

Braj Mohan Ram arrived at Bhubaneswar airport on Saturday aboard a special aircraft. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Chief Secretary Anu Garg welcomed him. He was also accorded a guard of honour at the airport.

Around 300 guests from Jharkhand have arrived in Odisha to attend the ceremony. They have been accommodated at the State Guest House, Circuit House, OTDC Panthanivas and several private hotels.

Ahead of his swearing-in, Braj Mohan Ram visited Puri on Saturday and sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath at the Shree Jagannath Temple.

Upon his arrival at Lok Bhavan in Puri, he was welcomed by Puri MP Dr Sambit Patra, Pipili MLA Ashrit Pattanayak, District Collector Dibyajyoti Parida and Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh.

During his visit to the temple, the newly appointed Governor prayed for the welfare of the people of Odisha. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration welcomed him and presented him with a Khandua silk cloth.

Speaking to the media after the darshan, Ram said it was a matter of pride and honour to assume the responsibility of Odisha Governor. He added that he had wished to seek Lord Jagannath’s blessings before taking the oath.

He said he would begin his work after the swearing-in ceremony and work for Odisha’s progress and development through discussions and cooperation with all stakeholders.

Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy welcomed Braj Mohan Ram, describing him as an experienced politician and organiser with decades of political experience. She expressed confidence that his understanding of public concerns would help him guide the state in the right direction.

The BJP also welcomed the new Governor. Party state secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy described him as a simple person whose approachable nature could benefit Odisha.

Tripathy said the Governor’s office is a constitutional position and expressed hope that Ram would work above party politics, within the constitutional framework, and contribute to resolving issues in the state.