Chiranjib, Sukanta join BJD

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal on Sunday got a shot in the arm after former Jagatsinghpur MLA and Congress heavyweight Chiranjib Biswal and Nilgiri MLA and former BJP leader Sukanta Kumar Nayak joined the party at BJD headquarters Sankha Bhawan here.

Biswal, who resigned from the Congress on Saturday, said, “I joined BJD after being impressed by the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his people-oriented programmes for the last 25 years, especially those aimed at benefiting women, youths, farmers and the poor people residing in villages.”

Biswal is the son of late Congress stalwart Basant Kumar Biswal who had also served as the deputy chief minister of Odisha from 1995 and 1999. Biswal was elected to the Assembly from Tirtol and Jagatsinghpur constituencies on Congress ticket in 2004 and 2014 respectively.

Nayak, who had tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the BJP on Friday, joined the BJD along with his supporters at party headquarters. “We have been impressed by the ideology of Biju babu (Biju Patnaik) from the beginning of our career but for some reasons and discontent, we left the party in 2019,” Nayak said. “After winning the election in 2019 on BJP ticket, I realised that there is lack of coordination between my associates and the people running the organisation of the BJP. I thank Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for allowing me and my supporters to make a comeback to the party,” Nayak said.

Senior BJD leaders Pratap Keshari Deb and MP Sasmit Patra were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Patra on Sunday mocked the BJP, saying that the latter could not find enough candidates for the 147 Assembly constituencies in the State. Patra said this is the reason why the party, despite declaring candidates for 21 Lok Sabha seats long back, is yet to announce the list of candidates for Assembly constituencies.

Responding to Patra, BJP leader Samir Mohanty said, “Declaration of candidates is an internal matter of the party... BJP doesn’t need certificate from anyone. He said the party will field able and competent candidates to ensure the end of an inept government ruling the State for 25 years.”