Bhubaneswar: In yet another setback for BJD, former Rajya Sabha MP and BJD’s IT & SM Cell Head Amar Pattnaik joined the BJP at its office in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
He joined the saffron party in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, prabhari (in-charge) for Odisha Vijaypal Singh Tomar, state president Manmohan Samal, and other senior leaders.
“I joined the BJP to serve the nation. I quit my government job in 2018 and became an MP in 2019. So far, I have worked for the development of the state, and now the time has come to dedicate myself to the nation. Therefore, I think, BJP is the right party to serve the nation,” Patnaik said.
The former principal accountant general (AG) had joined the BJD on August 29, 2018, and was assigned to head its IT Cell. He along with Sasmit Patra and BJP nominee Ashwini Vaishnav were elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2019. His tenure ended in February 2024.
Incidentally, the development came even as BJD President and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik departed from Bhubaneswar airport for Nuapada, where he is scheduled to address a public meeting in Komna block.
In his speech, CM Mjahi said that Amar Patnaik would soon campaign for the BJP in Nuapada, while BJP State President Manmohan Samal called him “a highly educated person who will strengthen the BJP’s organisational base.”
The Conch party had recently suffered a jolt with the exit of Jay Dholakia, who entered the saffron fold within weeks of his father and BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia’s death, which necessitated the bypoll. Jay is not only contesting the by-election to reclaim his father’s seat but also to wrest it from the BJD.
In 2024, the BJD had seen two sitting Rajya Sabha members – Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar – switching sides and getting elected to the Upper House as BJP MPs, reducing its strength to seven after drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections in which the Naveen-led party drew a blank for the first time in over a decade.