Prime Minister of Orissa

The Prime Minister of Orissa was the head of government and the Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly of Orissa Province in British India. The position was dissolved upon the independence of India in 1947.

Prime Minister of Orissa
Style	The Honorable
Appointer	Governor of Orissa
Formation	1 April 1937
First holder	Krushna Chandra Gajapati
Final holder	Harekrushna Mahatab
Abolished	15 August 1947
Succession	Chief Minister of Odisha

History

The office was created under the Government of India Act 1935. During the 1937 Indian provincial elections, the Indian National Congress won 36 seats in Orissa, while other parties and independents won 24 seats. The first premiership was held by the influential aristocrat and independent legislator Sir Krushna Chandra Gajapati for 80 days. Bishwanath Das, a provincial legislator of the Congress, then claimed the right to form the government, despite the pan-Indian Congress policy of boycotting constitutional governments. The Das ministry lasted until 1939. Sir Gajapati then formed a second government in 1941, which lasted until 1944. Sir Gajapati is regarded as the architect of the modern Indian state of Orissa (now Odisha). During the 1946 Indian provincial elections, the Congress won 47 seats. Congress leader Harekrushna Mahatab became the last Prime Minister of Odisha but the first elected Chief Minister of Orissa was Nabakrushna Choudhury.

Office holders

No	Name	Image	Term(s)	Party	Governor	Viceroy
1	Krushna Chandra Gajapati		1 April 1937 – 19 July 1937	Independent	John Austen Hubback	The Marquess of Linlithgow
2	Bishwanath Das		19 July 1937 – 6 November 1939	Orissa Provincial Congress	John Austen Hubback G. T. Boag	The Marquess of Linlithgow
3	Krushna Chandra Gajapati		24 November 1941 – 30 June 1944	Independent	Howthorne Lewis	The Marquess of Linlithgow The Viscount Wavell
4	Harekrushna Mahatab		23 April 1946 – 15 August 1947	Orissa Provincial Congress	Sir Chandulal Madhavlal Trivedi	The Viscount Wavell Earl Mountbatten

See also

• Legislatures of British India