Meet ‘Odisha Modi’! Team Modi’s New Minister Who Lives in Thatched House

New Delhi, May 31, 2019:

Remember ‘Odisha Modi’? The white cotton kurta-pajama clad, bicycle-borne sexagenarian politician?

Yes! We are talking about Pratap Chandra Sarangi, the first-time MP from Balasore in Odisha.

There is another ‘first’ in his simple humdrum life now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inducted him as the minister of state in his ministry.

Also Read: Modi Cabinet 2.0 Portfolios: Full List Here

Sarangi hogged the limelight on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

In fact, the story of Sarangi’s simple lifestyle and using a bicycle as a mode of transport became viral in social media a few days back.

Sarangi was a two-time MLA from Nilgiri constituency in Odisha. He is popularly known as ‘Nana’.

‘Nana’ turned out to be the giant killer in the recently concluded LS elections defeating two of the richest candidates.

He defeated sitting BJD MP Rabindra Kumar Jena, an industrialist and Congress candidate Nabajyoti Patnaik, son of Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik.

While his political rivals campaigned in SUVs, Sarangi hired auto-rickshaw to reach out to the voters. Obviously, the result has stunned his political rivals.

The 64-year-old leads a very simple lifestyle. He lives in a thatched house, rides a bicycle.

A bachelor, Sarangi took oath on Thursday as Minister of State in the Modi government.

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