Politics in Odisha takes place within a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the Union Government of India exercises sovereign rights with certain powers reserved to the states of India including Odisha. The state has a multi-party system where the two main parties are the centrist and secularist Indian National Congress (INC) and the regional socialist party Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has increased in recent years. The Governor of Odisha is appointed by the Union Government and can, in some circumstances, dismiss the state government.
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Koshal State Movement
Kosal[edit source] Main article: Kosal state movement The Kosal region is the entire Western Odisha area located in Odisha state, between 19° 37’- 23° N latitude and 82° 28’- 85° 22’ E longitudes comprising the districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Debagarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Aathmallik sub-division of Angul district and Kashipur block of Rayagada district. It is surrounded by Jharkhand state on the north, on the east by the dist of Keonjhar, Angul and Kandhamal; on the south by Rayagada, Koraput and on the west by Chhattisgarh state. This geographical area comes under the Western Odisha Development Council. Proloneged underdevelopment in the western part has given rise to Koshal movement. Besides the culture language and etiquette of people of Koshalanchal(Western Odisha) are radically differrent from coastal Odisha. Hence people of western Odisha are demanding for a separate Koshal state. People of Western Part of Odisha observe April 1 as black day because it was the same day on 1948 that Koshal area was deliberately merged with Odisha.
Chief ministers
Since independence, the Chief Ministers of Odisha have been:
Key:
No.: Incumbent No.
Elections
The most recent election was held in 2009. Biju Janata Dal came back to power with a thumping majority by winning 103 seats out of 147 seats. Their former coalition allies, the BJP, won only six seats. The opposition INC also lost 11 seats compared to 2004 elections and was the second largest party.