Odisha: Jolt to BJP as party’s Jharsuguda president joins BJD ahead of bypoll

Priya Ranjan Swain Published On : May 3, 2023 at 4:26 PM

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a severe jolt ahead of the Jharsuguda bypoll as its district unit president Mangal Sahu quit the party and joined ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) here today.

BJD Rajya Sabha MP Manas Mangaraj and other leaders welcomed Sahu into the regional party at Sankha Bhawan here.

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Sahu later met BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence, sources said.

Sahu had been holding various posts in the Odisha unit of BJP for around two decades, sources added.

“I was working hard to strengthen BJP organisation in Jharsuguda district. I was pained when some BJP leaders do cheap politics by leaving aside party’s ideology and principles. That is why I left BJP and joined BJD,” Sahu said.

The BJD under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is working for the development of the people of Odisha, he added.

“I am ready to handle any responsibility given to me by the BJD leadership. I will work for the development of Jharsuguda people,” Sahu said.

BJP Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal, however, said Sahu’s resignation will have no impact on the prospective of the saffron party in the upcoming bypoll.

“The BJP is not dependent on any individual. The party has its own ideology and people-oriented agenda,” he added.

Notably, Jharsuguda Assembly seat will go for a by-election on May 10. The bypoll is necessitated due to the murder of sitting MLA Naba Das on January 29.

The BJD has fielded Das’s daughter Dipali in the bypoll while BJP has given ticket to its youth leader Tankadhar Tripathy. The Congress party has picked former MLA Biren Pandey’s son Tarun Pandey as its nominee for the by-election.