Odisha is a land of heritage sites, arts, cultures, traditions and plenty of natural resources. Since ancient times many rulers were ruled over Odisha due to its location and geographical importance. When the rulers are from the same family that maintains power for several generations, then the dynastic rule has been initiated. There were several dynastic rulers were ruled to Odisha until it became a separate state as per modern time or before emergence of democracy. But after emergence of democracy in Odisha as a state of India following India’s independence from the colonial rule more than two hundred years of exploitative rules. Democracy gives opportunity to many new faces to be part of the ruling process as believed to the end of the dynastic rule. But frankly speaking a new kind of politics emerged in democracy due to the rulers has been chosen from same family by the voters from several elections which known as dynastic politics or political dynasties. Dynastic politics, which has been treated as the contrast of democracy, usually is a practical aspect of politics in many modern democracies. The political dynasties that exist in India are a product of democracy in India which has been reflecting in almost all the states including Odisha. since 1951 to 2024, there are seventeen general election has been conducted in Odisha where different dynastic leaders came into power but one who has ruled more than two decades and dominated the Odisha politics i.e. Naveen Patnaik. The leadership style of him is usually linked to dynastic politics, making him as a central figure in the state as well as Biju Janata Dal (BJD). But after 2024 general elections the political landscape has been changed in Odisha due to the emergence of a grassroots leader as a chief minister which replaced to the long standing and sitting dynastic ruler from his post. The central question of this paper is to understand what are the major factors behind the defeats of the most popular chief minister of India? The paper also explore answers of some other questions like how the present chief minister Mohan Majhi maintain the same popularity of Odisha as maintained by Naveen Patnaik? How the present chief ministers fulfill the expectations of Odisha people as they have changed the most dynamic leader? Can Mohan Majhi is able to provide good governance to people? What are major challenges in front of Majhi’s govt. as Odisha is one of natural calamities prone state? The paper concludes with some observations of Majhi Govt. regarding their ruling structure.
Dillip Kumar Mallik (Sat,) studied this question.