Brajmohan Ram has been appointed Odisha Governor. Explore his political career, Lok Sabha tenure and the renewed Odisha-Jharkhand connection
Bhaskar Parichha
Brajmohan Ram, a former three-term Lok Sabha member from Palamu in Jharkhand, has been appointed Governor of Odisha, bringing back into the spotlight a Dalit leader who has remained largely inactive in electoral politics for more than a decade.
Ram, 68, represented Palamu, a Scheduled Caste-reserved constituency, in the Lok Sabha in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He was among the prominent Dalit faces of the Bharatiya Janata Party during the rise of the National Democratic Alliance under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Before entering Parliament, Ram served in the undivided Bihar Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 1995, representing the reserved Latehar constituency. He hails from Chandwa in present-day Jharkhand.
His political career faded after he lost the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Palamu as an independent candidate. He subsequently returned to the BJP but remained largely outside the political limelight.
His appointment has drawn celebrations among BJP workers, while reportedly surprising some party leaders who noted his prolonged absence from active politics. A senior party leader, quoted in media reports, said Ram had held few organisational positions in recent years and had unsuccessfully sought party tickets for subsequent elections.
Ram’s appointment also renews Odisha’s gubernatorial connection with neighbouring Jharkhand. He is the second leader from the state to become Odisha Governor in the past three years, after former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das, who held the post from October 2023 until December 2024. Das resigned before returning to active politics ahead of the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections.
The connection reflects the close geographical and historical ties between Odisha and Jharkhand, which share a border, tribal communities and cultural traditions. Parts of present-day Jharkhand were once within Bihar, while the two neighbouring states share concerns relating to mineral resources, industrial development and the welfare of tribal populations.
Outgoing Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati’s tenure in Odisha was also relatively short. He assumed office on January 3, 2025, succeeding Das, and served for about 21 months before the latest gubernatorial reshuffle.
Ram will now take over as Governor of Odisha.
(The author is a senior journalist and columnist. Views expressed are personal.)