Duryodhan Majhi joins BJP; to fight polls

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Mar 15, 2014 at 1:18 AM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Sambalpur, Mar 14:

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Former minister and BJD leader Duryodhan Majhi today joined the BJP at the party’s Vijay Sankalpa samavesh here in the presence of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat strongman Narendra Modi. While Majhi wished Modi with a garland in the dais, he was welcomed into the party by Modi.

Planning and Coordination minister in the Naveen Patnaik government between in 2004-2009, Majhi had announced his resignation from the BJD. on Thursday after Naveen Patnaik named Lambodhar Nial as the BJD candidate for the Khariar assembly constituency on Wednesday.

Majhi, who had won elections from Khariar assembly constituency five times, was defeated by BJP’s Hitesh Bagarti in the 2009 elections to the state assembly. Interestingly, Bagarti, who was allotted a ticket by the BJP for the same constituency, has refused to contest on health grounds this time.

Majhi, who was wearing a saffron cap, told reporters that he had joined the BJP and would be getting a ticket to contest the elections.