Bhubaneswar: Actor-turned-politician Arindam Roy today resigned from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha.

Roy resigned from the post of general secretary of BJD and party’s primary membership through a letter to the regional party’s supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Roy sent his resignation letter to the BJD president through his brother-in-law and party’s general secretary (organization) Pranab Prakash Das.

In his resignation letter, Roy claimed that he had been working in BJD since 2009. Besides, he had been one of the star campaigners of the party since 2014.

“I have been working as an observer for the party in various elections in Cuttack, Tirtol and Koraput. But, my work has not yet been recognized by the party,” Roy said in his resignation letter.

Roy further claimed that he was trying to meet the BJD president for last several days but he did not get any opportunity in this regard.

“Therefore, I feel that I do not fit the criteria of meeting you and my place in your party is nothing. So, I resign from the post of General Secretary, BJD and the primary membership of the party. I hope you will understand my situation and not keep any grudge against me (sic),” Roy said in his resignation letter.

Roy, later, joined BJP in the presence of party’s Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal and senior leaders of the party, including Sameer Mohanty, Surama Padhee and Manoj Mohapatra at its headquarters here.