Former Odisha MLA Anshuman Mohanty Joins BJD, 2 Days After Quitting Congress

Bhubaneswar: Two days after quitting Congress, former Odisha MLA and prominent youth leader in coastal Kendrapada Anshuman Mohanty joined Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday.

Anshuman along with many supporters joined the ruling party in the presence of senior leaders including organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, MP Manas Mangaraj, MLA Pratap Jena at the BJD headquarters Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

While welcoming Anshuman, Pranab Prakash Das said that his induction would boost the party in Kendrapada district.

Anshuman won his first election to the state Assembly Elections in 2014 from Rajnagar in Kendrapada, when he avenged his father’s 2009 defeat. He, however, lost the 2019 election to BJD’s Dhruba Sahoo.

Anshuman is considered a mass leader and his entry into the BJD is likely to further bolster the prospects of the regional party.

His exit from the Congress is seen as a jolt to the grand old party which has been gathering strength after the return of some of its veterans, who had deserted the party years ago, sources said.