CM Majhi Welcomes President Murmu to Odisha at Bhubaneswar Airport
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
She is Odisha's most celebrated daughter — and on Monday, 3 August 2026, President Draupadi Murmu touched down on the soil of the state that shaped her, greeted at Bhubaneswar Airport by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. For a state that has long taken quiet pride in her rise, the homecoming carried unmistakable weight.
Posting on X, CM Majhi wrote in Odia: 'ପବିତ୍ର ଓଡ଼ିଶା ମାଟିକୁ ଆଗମନ ଅବସରରେ...' — 'On the occasion of her arrival on the sacred soil of Odisha, I extended a warm welcome to the honourable President of the nation, Odisha's worthy daughter, Smt. Draupadi Murmu Ji.' He added that the visit was 'a moment of unique pride for all residents of the state' and that her 'inspiring presence and guidance will further strengthen the journey of the state's all-round development, prosperity and public welfare.'
Odisha's Daughter at the Highest Office
Draupadi Murmu was elected the 15th President of India in July 2022, becoming the first person from a tribal community — and the first Odia — to hold the nation's highest constitutional office. She hails from Mayurbhanj district in northern Odisha, a region with a significant tribal population. Her ascent from a village in Mayurbhanj to Rashtrapati Bhavan remains one of the most resonant political stories in modern India.
BJP's Double Footprint in Odisha
CM Majhi took charge of Odisha in June 2024 after the BJP swept the state assembly elections, ending decades of Biju Janata Dal rule. With the BJP now governing both the state and holding the presidency, presidential visits to Odisha carry an added layer of political and symbolic alignment. Such visits typically open space for discussions on centrally-sponsored welfare schemes, tribal development programmes, and infrastructure priorities — areas where state and central governments must move in tandem.
The President's full itinerary for the visit — including any public addresses, institutional engagements, or development announcements — was not disclosed in the post. What is clear is that her return to Odisha, however brief, sends a signal to the state's tribal communities and to the broader electorate: that Odisha's story, and its people, remain central to the national imagination.
A President returning home is never just a protocol visit. It is a reminder of where power comes from.