Bhubaneswar- Senior BJP leader and Sundargarh MP Jual Oram has declared that he will not contest any more elections, marking a major political announcement from one of Odisha’s longest-serving parliamentarians. Speaking at a “Rozgar Mela” event in Sambalpur on Saturday, Oram stated, “I will not contest elections anymore,” reiterating a promise he had made during the previous polls.
This statement comes shortly after Oram’s return to the Union Cabinet, where he was reappointed as Minister of Tribal Affairs — a portfolio he previously held under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and first Modi government. His inclusion alongside Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw makes him one of three cabinet ministers from Odisha in the current central government.
Oram, a prominent tribal face of the BJP, was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Sundargarh in 1998. He served in the Vajpayee cabinet as the inaugural Minister of Tribal Affairs — a ministry created under his leadership. Despite a setback in 2009 when he lost his seat, he bounced back with victories in 2014, 2019, and most recently in 2024.
Interestingly, although he was overlooked for a cabinet berth between 2019 and 2024 — during which Arjun Munda held the Tribal Affairs Ministry — Oram has now returned to the role after a five-year gap.
As he prepares to serve once again in the Union Cabinet, Oram’s announcement signals a shift in his political journey from electoral leadership to ministerial responsibilities, likely paving the way for the BJP to groom new leadership in Sundargarh and tribal-dominated regions of Odisha.
