Former BJP MLA Laxman Soren, wife join Odisha’s ruling BJD

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of panchayat elections in Odisha, former BJP MLA Laxman Soren and his wife Deola Soren joined ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) here today.

Soren was inducted into Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in presence of party’s Organisational Secretary Pranab Prakash Das.

Along with 48 BJP workers, his wife Deola Soren, who is the Sarpanch of Jashipur Gram Panchayat in Mayurbhanj district, also joined the BJD at the party office in Bhubaneswar.

Laxman Soren was elected to the State Legislative Assembly on BJP ticket from Bahalda Assembly Constituency in 2000. He joined the Congress and fought the assembly election after being denied a ticket from the BJP in 2004. After he lost the poll, he returned to the BJP in 2004.

However, the BJP did not give him chance to fight the elections further for which he left the party and joined the BJD today.