Bhubaneswar, Nov 27: Calling it a “historic day” for Odisha’s democratic journey, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday welcomed President Droupadi Murmu to the state Assembly, where she is scheduled to address members for the first time in the House’s 75-year history.

Majhi said it was a moment of pride that the President, who began her political career as an Odisha MLA, returned to her “first workplace” to guide the Assembly. He said Murmu’s rise -- from a Santhali tribal family in Uparbeda village of Mayurbhanj to the country’s highest constitutional office -- continues to inspire millions.

The chief minister recalled the President’s past remarks about her early struggles, including collecting firewood from forests while attending school, and said her journey to Rashtrapati Bhavan was the result of “hard work, sacrifice and service to the people.”

Majhi said Murmu had never forgotten her roots and had significantly contributed to the development of Mayurbhanj. Her presence in the Assembly, he added, reaffirmed Odisha’s cultural ethics of valuing one’s birthplace and community.

He also highlighted the President’s earlier roles -- as minister in the Odisha government, as the state’s first woman “Best Legislator” awardee, as Jharkhand’s first tribal woman Governor, and now as India’s President.

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Majhi said the BJP government in Odisha was working with the Centre’s motto of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”, adding that his administration aimed to deliver transparent, efficient and people-centric governance. He noted that the public had begun calling his government a “people’s government.”

The chief minister said President Murmu’s address would guide both the government and the people of the state as Odisha works toward contributing to a “developed India by 2047” and a “prosperous Odisha by 2036.”