Jual Oram - BJP's tribal face in Odisha

Veteran BJP leader Jual Oram, who stands as a beacon of tribal leadership in Odisha, was inducted into the Narendra Modi 3.0 government on Sunday as a central minister.

The 63-year-old leader, hailing from Odisha's Sundargarh district, holds the distinction of being the country's first tribal affairs minister, following the establishment of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He has a long political experience both as an MLA and an MP. His electoral triumphs include successive wins from the tribal-dominated Bonai assembly constituency in 1990 and 1995. The tribal leader was elected to the Lok Sabha for six terms from Sundargarh. Additionally, he became president of the BJP's Odisha unit on three occasions.

Oram emerged victorious from Sundargarh, defeating BJD's nominee and Indian Hockey player Dilip Tirkey.