Union Ministers from Odisha have played a significant role in India's national political landscape since independence.This list provides a comprehensive overview of prominent leaders from the state who have held ministerial positions in the Union Government.
History Nityanand Kanungo, the longest-serving minister from Odisha in the Nehru era, later became the Governor of Gujarat and Bihar. Nandini Satpathy was a rising figure in Indira Gandhi's ministry, becoming a deputy minister at 34 and later the Chief Minister of Odisha during the Emergency. Janaki Ballabh Patnaik rose from deputy to cabinet minister before becoming the Chief Minister of Odisha for nearly 13 years.
A prominent figure in both state and national politics, Biju Patnaik, was a minister in the Morarji Desai and Charan Singh cabinets. He served as the youngest Chief Minister of Odisha in 1961 at age 45 and again in 1990. Other notable national figures include Rabi Ray, who became the Lok Sabha Speaker in 1989, and Srikant Kumar Jena, who held various ministerial roles in different governments. Naveen Patnaik, Biju's son, joined the Vajpayee cabinet before becoming the longest-serving Chief Minister of Odisha for 24 years.
In the Modi govt, Dharmendra Pradhan has become a significant leader, serving as the Union Minister of Education and playing a key role in the BJP's success in Odisha and Haryana. Jual Oram, a six-time MP, has been a Union Minister for Tribal Affairs across multiple governments. Another key figure is Ashwini Vaishnaw, an IAS officer-turned-politician who has held major portfolios like Railways and Information and broadcasting.
Interim Government of India (02/09/1946 - 15/08/1947) #PortraitNamePortfolioTenureParty Cabinet Minister1Sarat Chandra Bose Works Mines Power2 September 19462 September 1946
1st Ministry of India/ 1st Jawaharlal Nehru Ministry (15/08/1947 - 15/04/1952)
#PortraitNamePortfolioTenureParty Cabinet Minister1Harekrushna Mahatab Industries & Supplies13 May 195026 May 1950
2nd Ministry of India/ 2nd Jawaharlal Nehru Ministry (15/04/1952 - 17/04/1957) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Cabinet Minister1V. V. GiriLok Sabha MP from Pathapatnam Labour15 April 195210 September 1954 1st Minister of State2 Nityanand KanungoLok Sabha MP from Kendrapara Consumer Industries in Commerce & Industry13 June 195617 April 1957 1st
3rd Ministry of India/ 3rd Jawaharlal Nehru Ministry (17/04/1957 - 02/04/1962) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1 Nityanand KanungoLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Commerce in Commerce & Industry17 April 19572 April 1962 2nd
4th Ministry of India/ 4th Jawaharlal Nehru Ministry (02/04/1962 - 27/05/1964) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1 Nityanand KanungoLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Industry in Commerce & Industry2 April 196227 May 1964 3rd
1st Gulzarilal Nanda Ministry (27/05/1964 - 09/06/1964) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1 Nityanand KanungoLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Industry in Commerce & Industry27 May 19649 June 1964 3rd
5th Ministry of India/ Lal Bahadur Shastri Ministry (09/06/1964 - 11/01/1966) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1 Nityanand KanungoLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Cultural Affairs9 June 196411 January 1966 3rd
2nd Gulzarilal Nanda Ministry (11/01/1966 - 24/01/1966)
No Ministers from Odisha
6th Ministry of India/ 1st Indira Gandhi Ministry (24/01/1966 - 13/03/1967)
#PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1R. Jagannath RaoLok Sabha MP from Nowrangpur Labour, Employment & Rehabilitation24 January 196614 February 1966 3rd Parliamentary Affairs Communications14 February 196613 March 19672Bibhudhendra MishraLok Sabha MP from Puri Industry24 January 196613 March 1967 Deputy Minister3Nandini SatpathyRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Information & Broadcasting29 January 196613 March 1967 3rd
7th Ministry of India/ 2nd Indira Gandhi Ministry (13/03/1967 - 18/03/1971) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1R. Jagannath RaoLok Sabha MP from Chatrapur Works, Housing & Urban Development13 March 196714 February 1969 4th Petroleum Chemicals Mines & Metals14 February 196927 June 1970 Law Social Welfare27 June 197018 March 19712Nandini SatpathyRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Minister without Portfolio27 June 197018 March 1971 Deputy Minister(2)Nandini SatpathyRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Information & Broadcasting13 March 196714 February 1969 4th Minister without Portfolio14 February 196927 June 1970
8th Ministry of India/ 3rd Indira Gandhi Ministry (18/03/1971 - 24/03/1977) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1Nandini SatpathyRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Information & Broadcasting18 March 197110 October 1974 5th2Janaki Ballabh PatnaikLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Defence23 December 197624 March 1977 Deputy Minister3 Chaitanya Prasad MajhiRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Petroleum and Chemicals17 October 197421 December 1975 5th Chemicals and Fertilizers21 December 197524 March 1977(2)Janaki Ballabh PatnaikLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Defence29 January 197623 December 1976
9th Ministry of India/ Morarji Desai Ministry (24/03/1977 - 28/07/1979) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Cabinet Minister1Biju PatnaikLok Sabha MP from Kendrapara Steel Mines26 March 197715 July 1979 6th2Rabi RayRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Education Social Welfare24 January 197915 July 1979 Minister of State3Samarendra KunduLok Sabha MP from Balasore External Affairs24 January 197928 July 1979 6th
10th Ministry of India/ Chaudhary Charan Singh Ministry (28/07/1979 - 14/01/1980) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Cabinet Minister1Biju PatnaikLok Sabha MP from Kendrapara Steel Mines Coal26 July 197914 January 1980 6th2Rabi RayRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Health & Family Welfare26 July 197914 January 1980
11th Ministry of India/ 4th Indira Gandhi Ministry (14/01/1980 - 31/10/1984) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Cabinet Minister1Janaki Ballabh PatnaikLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Tourism Civil Aviation Labour14 January 19808 June 1980 7th Minister of State2Ramchandra RathLok Sabha MP from Aska Chemicals & Fertilizers2 September 198231 October 1984 7th3Kamakhya Prasad Singh DeoLok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Defence29 January 198331 October 1984Deputy Minister4 Brajamohan MohantyLok Sabha MP from Puri Civil Supplies19 October 198015 January 1982 7th Works & Housing15 January 198229 January 1983(3)Kamakhya Prasad Singh DeoLok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Defence15 January 198229 January 19835Giridhar GamangLok Sabha MP from Koraput Supply & Rehabilitation15 January 19822 September 1982 Labour & Rehabilitation2 September 198229 January 1983
12th Ministry of India/ 1st Rajiv Gandhi Ministry (31/10/1984 - 31/12/1984) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State1Kamakhya Prasad Singh DeoLok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Defence31 October 198431 December 1984 7th
13th Ministry of India/ 2nd Rajiv Gandhi Ministry (31/12/1984 - 02/12/1989) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok Sabha Minister of State (Independent Charges)1Giridhar GamangLok Sabha MP from Koraput Communications4 July 19892 December 1989 8th Minister of State2Kamakhya Prasad Singh DeoLok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Culture31 December 198425 September 19858th Personnel & Administrative Reforms in Personnel & Training, Public Grievances & Administrative Reforms31 December 198415 March 1985 Personnel & Training, Public Grievances & Administrative Reforms15 March 198525 September 19853 Chintamani PanigrahiLok Sabha MP from Bhubaneswar Home22 October 198625 June 1988 Defence Production & Supplies in Defence25 June 19884 July 1989(1)Giridhar GamangLok Sabha MP from Koraput Tourism14 February 198825 June 1988 Communications25 June 19884 July 1989Deputy Minister(1)Giridhar GamangLok Sabha MP from Koraput Welfare25 September 198515 December 19888th
14th Ministry of India/ V. P. Singh Ministry (02/12/1989 - 10/11/1990) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenureParty AllianceLok SabhaCabinet Minister1Nilamani RoutrayLok Sabha MP from Puri Health & Family Welfare6 December 198923 April 1990National Front9th Environment & Forests23 April 199010 January 1990Minister of State (Independent Charges)2Srikant Kumar JenaLok Sabha MP from Cuttack Small Scale, Argo & Rural Industries of Industry23 April 199010 January 1990National Front9th3 Bhajaman BeheraLok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Petroleum Chemicals23 April 199010 January 1990Deputy Minister4Bhagey GobardhanLok Sabha MP from Mayurbhanj Programme Implementation23 April 199010 January 1990National Front9th5Bhakta Charan DasLok Sabha MP from Kalahandi Women & Child Development in Welfare Youth Affairs & Sports in Human Resource Development23 April 199010 January 1990National Front9th
15th Ministry of India/ Chandra Shekhar Ministry (10/11/1990 - 21/06/1991) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyAllianceLok SabhaMinister of State1 Bhakta Charan DasLok Sabha MP from Kalahandi Railways21 November 199021 June 1990National Front9th
16th Ministry of India/ P. V. Narasimha Rao Ministry (21/06/1991 - 16/05/1996) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyLok SabhaMinister of State (Independent Charges)1Giridhar GamangLok Sabha MP from Koraput Food Processing Industries21 June 199118 January 1993 10th Planning & Programme Implementation18 January 199315 September 1995 Mines15 September 199516 May 19952Kamakhya Prasad Singh DeoLok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Information & Broadcasting18 January 199315 September 1995 Food Processing Industries15 September 199516 May 1995Minister of State3Kahnu Charan LenkaRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Agriculture21 June 199118 January 1993 10th Railways18 January 19932 April 19944 Krupasindhu BhoiLok Sabha MP from Sambalpur Education in Human Resource Development15 September 199516 May 1996
17th Ministry of India/ 1st A. B. Vajpayee Ministry (16/05/1996 - 01/06/1996) No Ministers from Odisha
18th Ministry of India/ H. D. Deve Gowda Ministry (01/06/1996 - 21/04/1997) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyAllianceLok SabhaCabinet Minister1Srikant Kumar JenaLok Sabha MP from Kendrapara Tourism in Civil Aviation & Tourism Parliamentary Affairs29 June 199621 April 1997United Front11thMinister of State (Independent Charges)2 Dilip RayRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Animal Husbandry and Dairying in Agriculture29 June 19966 July 1996United Front11th Food Processing Industries6 July 199621 April 1997
19th Ministry of India/ I. K. Gujral Ministry (21/04/1997 - 19/03/1998) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyAllianceLok SabhaCabinet Minister1Srikant Kumar JenaLok Sabha MP from Kendrapara Tourism in Civil Aviation & Tourism Industry21 April 199719 March 1998United Front11thMinister of State (Independent Charges)2 Dilip RayRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Food Processing Industries21 April 199719 March 1998United Front11th
20th Ministry of India/ 2nd A. B. Vajpayee Ministry (19/03/1998 - 13/10/1999) #PortraitNameConstituencyPortfolioTenurePartyAllianceLok SabhaCabinet Minister1Naveen Patnaik Lok Sabha MP from Aska Steel Mines & Minerals19 March 199813 October 1999 12thMinister of State (Independent Charges)2 Dilip RayRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Coal19 March 199813 October 1999 12thMinister of State3Debendra Pradhan Lok Sabha MP from Deogarh Surface Transport19 March 199813 October 199912th(2) Dilip RayRajya Sabha MP from Odisha Parliamentary Affairs22 May 199813 October 1999 21st Ministry of India/ 3rd A. B. Vajpayee Ministry (13/10/1999 - 22/05/2004)