New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Actor-turned-politician and Odisha MP Anubhav Mohanty joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.
Two days after quitting Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Kendrapada MP joined BJP at a function held at the party headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of senior leaders.
Speaking on the occasion, Anubhav said he decided to join BJP after being inspired by the dynamic and strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Under Modi Ji’s leadership, we had supported many Bills in the interest of the nation. Be it Triple Talaq or Article 370, I felt proud to witness such historic moments, he said, adding that he wants all youths to join BJP to take the country forward.
Voicing optimism that India will become the best country in the world in the next five to ten years under the leadership of PM Modi, the Ollywood star said he learnt a lot during the last five years as a member of Lok Sabha.
“There is nothing greater than our country. Hence, we all should work unitedly towards the development of the country,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that Anubhav Mohanty was once one of the star campaigners of the ruling BJD in Odisha.
Anubhav, who was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2014 as a BJD nominee, won Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat in 2019 by defeating BJP heavyweight Baijayant Panda by over 1.53 lakh votes. However, he soon drew flak for allegedly misbehaving with the media. His personal issues, including divorce and domestic abuse cases, apparently further dented his image, adversely affecting his political stick.
His long and bitter legal battle ended in December last year when the Orissa High Court granted him divorce from his estranged wife Varsha Priyadarshini, also an actor.
