In Odisha, expelled BJD leader joins BJP ahead of LS, assembly polls

February 21, 2024 20:35

Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi/ANI Photo

Four years after he was expelled from the Biju Janata Dal, Gopalpur MLA and former Odisha minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.

Immediately after joining the saffron party in the presence of its state chief Manmohan Samal, Panigrahi vowed to oust the BJD from power.

He also termed the government headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as "arrogant" and "autocratic", an allegation the ruling party denied.

Panigrahi, a critic of bureaucrat-turned-BJD leader VK Pandian, was expelled from the ruling party in 2020 for being involved in "anti-people activities".

The three-time lawmaker from Gopalpur in Ganjam district had earlier served as a higher education minister in the state government. Samal welcomed Panigrahi to the BJP and said the former state minister would strengthen the party in Ganjam.

"The BJP will emerge stronger in Ganjam and neighbouring districts with his entry to the party," he said.

Senior BJD leader Ramesh Chandra Chayupatnaik claimed that Panigrah joining the saffron camp will have "no impact on the Ganjam district politics".

Panigrahi also said, "Development work across various sectors taken up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has infused faith in people and time is ripe for a change of government in Odisha to save democracy." -- PTI

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