Munna Khan,also known as Mujibulla Khan,is a member of parliament of India (Rajya Sabha) elected unopposed from Odisha on the ticket of Biju Janata Dal during 2020 Indian Rajya Sabha elections. He was one of the four new elect MPs of Biju Janata Dal elected unopposed since the major opposition party BJP refused to field any candidate from the state. [1] [2]
He was with Janata Dal earlier and joined Biju Janata Dal after its formation. He was also BJD’s minority cell president for a brief period. [1]
Before becoming full time politician Munna Khan started his career as an Odia film actor and moved to politics at the age of 23. He is best known for Mamata Ra Dori (1989),Kie Kahara(1997),Mu Premi Mu Pagala (2011) and Mu Kana Ete Kharap (2010). [3]
The Biju Janata Dal is an Indian regional political party with significant influence in the state of Odisha. It was founded by the former minister of mines and minerals of the Republic of India Naveen Patnaik on 26 December 1997 as a breakaway faction from the Janata Dal. The BJD is led by its founder as president of the party. The headquarters of the party is located in Forest Park,Bhubaneswar.
Naveen Patnaik is an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. His 24-year reign is the second longest for a chief minister of any Indian state,after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim. He is the first president of the Biju Janata Dal since 1997. He served as the Union Minister of Steel and Mines from 1998 to 2000 and a member of the Lok Sabha from Aska from 1997 to 2000.
Rayagada is a municipality in Rayagada district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the administrative headquarters of Rayagada district.
Dilip Tirkey,is a former captain of the Indian field hockey team,politician and sports administrator. He was awarded Padma Shree in 2004. Currently he is the president of Hockey India.
The politics of Odisha are part of India's federal parliamentary representative democracy,where the union government exercises sovereign rights. Certain powers are reserved to the states,including Odisha. The state has a multi-party system,in which the two main parties are the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the regional,socialist Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The Indian National Congress (INC) has also significant presence.
Sidhant Mohapatra,popularly known as Munna Bhai,is an Indian actor and politician who appears predominantly in Odia cinema,also Appeared in Telugu and Tamil films. He has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list based on his income. Referred to worldwide by his fans as Dynamic Superstar for his versatility in acting and comedy action,Siddhanta has acted in more than 200 movies with most of them (180) being lead roles. He has won numerous awards,including being the only actor to win seven Odisha State Film Awards back-to-back,during 2000–2006,including five Filmfare Awards East awards. He has twice won the National Award winner for Kotiye Re Gotiye (2000) and Swayamsiddha (2010). He has produced and distributed 120 movies under his venture Omm Divya Vision Home Motion Picture,which was founded in 1992 with actress Divya.
Bhupinder Singh is an Indian politician. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 from Odisha. He is the former Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Legislative Assembly representing from Narla constituency. He is a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) political party. He had left Congress and joined BJD in March 2014.
Narendra Kumar Swain was an Indian politician from Odisha state. He was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha the Upper house of Indian Parliament from Odisha as a Biju Janata Dal candidate. He died September 7,2020,after undergoing treatment at a hospital in Cuttack.
Bishnu Charan Das was an Indian politician from the state of Odisha. He was a leader of the Biju Janata Dal and had previously contested seats in Odisha Legislative Assembly from Jagatsinghpur seat.
N. Bhaskar Rao is an Indian politician from the state of Odisha. He is a leader of the Biju Janata Dal. His hometown is Rayagada. He was also Deputy Chairman of Odisha state's planning board and is also an industrialist.
Ashwini Vaishnaw is an Indian politician,former IAS officer and a businessman who serving as 39th Minister of Railways,35th Minister of Information and Broadcasting and 2nd Minister of Electronics and Information Technology since 2024.
Amar Patnaik is a former Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officer under the Comptroller &Auditor General (CAG) of India and former Principal Accountant General (PAG) of Sikkim,Odisha,West Bengal,and Kerala. He opted for voluntary retirement,nine years before completion of his service and joined Biju Janata Dal in the presence of party president and CM Naveen Patnaik on 29 August 2018. Since 28 June 2019,he is the member of the Parliament of India representing Odisha in the Rajya Sabha and general secretary of the BJD Parliamentary Party office,the upper house. He heads the IT-Wing and is also a spokesperson of Biju Janata Dal.
Mamata Mohanta is an Indian politician. She was a member of parliament in Rajya Sabha the upper house of Indian Parliament from Odisha as a member of the Biju Janata Dal.
Hussain Rabi Gandhi was an Indian Odia writer of the late-twentieth century,a politician,a public intellectual and a cultural activist hailing from the Indian state of Odisha. Being a founder member of Biju Janata Dal,he served as the general secretary of the party from upon its formation in 1998 till 2005. In 1994 the title of Biplabi Loka Kabi was conferred upon him by the Mayor of Cuttack. He was also awarded with the title of Utkala Jyoti in 1996 by the then Deputy chief minister of Odisha,Basant Kumar Biswal on the behalf of Freedom Fighter's Organisation. Gandhi primarily wrote in Odia language and was bestowed with the Secular India Harmony Award in 1993 by the former President of India,Giani Zail Singh and with the Gangadhar Meher Kabita award in 2015 for his notable contributions to the field of Odia poetry. Hussain served as the President of Odisha Sahitya Akademi (2008–2010). He was famously known as the Gandhi of Korei and was regarded as a bridge between Western Odisha and Coastal Odisha. He also served as Lead Member of Smt. Nandini Satpathy Memorial Trust (SNSMT).
Subhash Chandra Singh is a social activist,people leader and policy maker from the State of Odisha,India. He is the first directly elected Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation,acting Treasurer of Biju Janta Dal and General Secretary of Biju Sramika Samukhya. Previously he has also been member of Rajya Sabha from Odisha and has also served as National spokesperson for BJD. He was elected for Rajya Sabha on 24 March 2020. Being one of the most trusted senior leaders in BJD,he holds the position of Party Treasurer of Biju Janta Dal since 2016.
Rudra Pratap Maharathy is an Indian politician from Odisha. He is active with Biju Janata Dal in Odisha politics. He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in the 2021 Pipili Bypoll as a member of the Biju Janata Dal. He defeated Ashrit Pattanayak of Bharatiya Janata Party in a margin of 20,916 votes. In 2024 Odisha Assembly Election,he lost to Ashrit Pattanayak of Bharatiya Janata Party by a margin of 15,162 votes
Sulata Deo is an Indian politician and a member of the Rajya Sabha,upper house of the Parliament of India from Odisha as member of the Biju Janata Dal. She was previously advisor to the 'Mission Shakti' program of Govt of Odisha. She is also spokesperson of BJD.
Niranjan Bishi is an Indian politician and a member of the Rajya Sabha,upper house of the Parliament of India from Odisha as member of the Biju Janata Dal.
Debashish Samantaray is an Indian politician. He is a Member of Parliament,representing Odisha in the Rajya Sabha the upper house of India's Parliament as a member of the Biju Janata Dal.
Subhashish Khuntia is an Indian politician. He is a Member of Parliament,representing Odisha in the Rajya Sabha the upper house of India's Parliament as a member of the Biju Janata Dal.