Bhubaneswar: Ahead of elections 2024, Chilika MLA Prasanta Kumar Jagadev joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here today.

The expelled BJD leader was officially inducted into the BJP in the presence of Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha MP Aparajita Sarangi, BJP's state election co-in-charge Lata Usendi, and other senior leaders during a programme at party headquarters in Bhubaneswar.

"I am delighted and proud to have joined the BJP family. I will work as a soldier of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Jagadev said after joining the BJP.

Worth mentioning that the BJD had suspended Jagadev from the party in September 2021 for "anti-party" activities. He was placed under suspension for allegedly assaulting a BJP leader in his constituency.

He was expelled from the party after he was booked in a 'mowing down' case in March 2022. He was heavily condemned for an alleged act after his SUV ploughed through a crowd injuring at least 22 people including 10 police personnel and two journalists at Banapur area in Khordha district on March 12, 2022.