Bhubaneswar, Jul 2: Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Odisha from July 3 to 5 has been cancelled, BJP leaders confirmed on Thursday.

HM Shah was expected to attend several key programmes in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, and Bargarh, including the inauguration of major projects such as an ethanol plant.

Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal stated that the visit has been deferred due to special circumstances, adding that Shah will visit the state at a later date to inaugurate projects and lay foundation stones.

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Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit also confirmed that the Union Home Minister will reschedule his trip and participate in important programmes across western Odisha.

According to the original itinerary, Shah was to arrive in Odisha late on July 3. On July 4, he was scheduled to inaugurate a ₹1,750 crore ethanol project in Bargarh, which had earlier been laid by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The project was considered a highlight of Shah’s visit, symbolising the Centre’s push for industrial growth in the region.

In addition to project inaugurations, HM Shah was expected to attend multiple public programmes in western Odisha on July 4 and 5. These included a large public meeting highlighting the achievements of the BJP-led central government over the past 12 years and the newly formed BJP government in Odisha.

The cancellation has drawn attention as HM Shah’s visit was seen as politically significant, coming soon after the BJP’s rise to power in Odisha. Party leaders, however, assured that the projects and programmes will go ahead once the Home Minister’s visit is rescheduled.

For now, the focus remains on preparations for HM Shah’s future visit, which is expected to include both developmental inaugurations and political outreach in western Odisha.