Bhubaneswar: Balasore MP and Union Minister of State (MoS) Pratap Chandra Sarnagi surprised everyone by taking oath in Sanskrit as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha on Monday.
The Minister of State (MoS) for MSME and Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries pledged that he would abide by constitution in delivering his duties. The oath was administered by pro tem Speaker Virendra Singh.
Sarangi is an unlikely politician. A bachelor who lives in a thatched house, rides a bicycle and leads a simple life, the 64-year-old MP from Balasore took oath as a MoS in the second Narendra Modi Government.
He defeated BJD MP and industrialist Rabindra Kumar Jena and Nabajyoti Patnaik of Congress, two of Odisha’s richest MP candidates. He is fondly called ‘Nana,’ someone revered like an elder brother. He was also elected to the Odisha Assembly twice in 2004 and 2009.
Always seen in a pair of white cotton kurta-pyjamas, Sarangi has drawn the attention of national media for his simplicity.
