Bhubaneswar, Jan. 19: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s ministry rejig today has left the state disappointed.

With the expected elevation of minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers Srikanta Jena, the only Oriya in the Union ministry, to the cabinet rank not taking place and the Prime Minister deciding against inducting anyone else from the state, even Congress leaders are feeling let down.

“If nothing, at least Jena should have been elevated to the cabinet rank. This would have boosted the morale of Congressmen in the state,” said Nowrangpur MP Pradeep Majhi, who was also one of the front runners for a ministerial berth being close to AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Majhi, who is also the state Youth Congress president, said that expectations were running high on the eve of the reshuffle with many hoping that at least one leader from western or southern Orissa would be inducted. “No wonder people are feeling disappointed,” he quipped.

Describing the reshuffle as yet another instance of Orissa’s rightful claims being ignored by the Congress-led UPA government, agriculture minister and senior Biju Janata Dal leader Damodar Rout said it was surprising that even the much-expected elevation of Jena to the cabinet rank had not taken place.

“They could have elevated Jena or inducted veteran tribal leader and Sundergarh MP Hemanand Biswal into the cabinet. However, nothing of the kind happened with the claims of state Congress leaders being ignored completely. It is high time these leaders realise that they are being treated shabbily by the Congress high command and make common cause with BJD in highlighting the state’s neglect by the Centre in all spheres,” said Rout.

Jena was a cabinet minister in the United Front government led by H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral before joining the Congress party.

State BJP president Jual Oram was equally strident in his criticism of the Congress central leadership for not giving the state its due while effecting the reshuffle. “The central Congress leadership has never treated the state with respect. They have neglect the state and its leaders in the past and continue to do so,” said Oram who was a minister in the Vajpayee-led NDA government.

However, state Congress working president and Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das, another strong contender for a ministerial berth, said he was not at all surprised by the Prime Minister’s decision which had effected but a minor reshuffle. “One must try to understand the political compulsions behind the limited exercise. A full-fledged reshuffle might take place after the Assembly elections in Bengal and Kerala,” said Das, adding he had never sought to project himself as front runner for a cabinet berth. “However, people had their own expectations as I happen to be a former Union minister,” said the Dalit leader from Kalahandi.