[ad_1]
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha MLA Ramesh Chandra Sai, who resigned from BJD on Thursday after he was denied a ticket for the upcoming elections, joined BJP on Friday, making him the fifth legislator of CM Naveen Patnaik‘s party to switch camps.
Two MPs have also moved from BJD to BJP, while from the saffron party, Nilgiri MLA Sukanat Nayak, former legislator Prakash Chandra Behera and Bhrugu Baxipatra have decamped to the other side.
BJD had dropped Sai and fielded bureaucrat-turned-politician Nalini Kanta Pradhan from Athamallik assembly seat held by him. Sai cited personal reasons for resigning from BJD and the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi behind his saffron switch.
Though BJP has already fielded Sanjeeb Sahoo from Athamallik, it hopes Sai joining the party will help its efforts in both Sambalpur Lok Sabha and Athamallik assembly seats. Athamallik is part of the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency where Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is the BJP candidate. Sahoo, a four-time former BJD MLA and ex-minister, had joined BJP in 2021.
Earlier, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, who was expelled from BJD, joined BJP and has been named its Berhampur Lok Sabha nominee. Arabinda Dhali, a BJD MLA who shifted to BJP, will contest from Jayadev assembly seat, from where he was elected in 2019.
Two MPs have also moved from BJD to BJP, while from the saffron party, Nilgiri MLA Sukanat Nayak, former legislator Prakash Chandra Behera and Bhrugu Baxipatra have decamped to the other side.
BJD had dropped Sai and fielded bureaucrat-turned-politician Nalini Kanta Pradhan from Athamallik assembly seat held by him. Sai cited personal reasons for resigning from BJD and the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi behind his saffron switch.
Though BJP has already fielded Sanjeeb Sahoo from Athamallik, it hopes Sai joining the party will help its efforts in both Sambalpur Lok Sabha and Athamallik assembly seats. Athamallik is part of the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency where Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is the BJP candidate. Sahoo, a four-time former BJD MLA and ex-minister, had joined BJP in 2021.
Earlier, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, who was expelled from BJD, joined BJP and has been named its Berhampur Lok Sabha nominee. Arabinda Dhali, a BJD MLA who shifted to BJP, will contest from Jayadev assembly seat, from where he was elected in 2019.
[ad_2]
Source link
