Ex-Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh Joins BJP; Pushes For Change In Regime In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A week after quitting Biju Janata Dal (BJD), former Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at its headquarters in New Delhi on Monday.

“There is a need for change in Odisha… BJP will perform better in Odisha, particularly in western Odisha,” said Singh soon after joining the saffron party.

He further said that he did not join the BJP for party ticket since the distribution process is almost over and would take up any task assigned to him as a party worker. “I will work for establishment of a double engine government in the state,” he said.

Singh had resigned from the ruling party of Odisha on April 8 revolting against its policy of inducting leaders from rival political parties and fielding them from several key constituencies. He was reportedly upset after BJD fielded Parineeta Mishra as its MP candidate from Bargarh within a couple of hours of switching sides from BJP.

Parineeta is the wife of Susanta Mishra, the former BJP vice-president of Bargarh district unit.

Singh had then said that he was not consulted over such an important development despite being the district president of the party.

Singh had won the Bargarh LS seat in 2014 elections by defeating BJP’s Subash Chouhan by a margin of 11,178 votes. The BJD fielded senior leader Prasanna Acharya from the seat in 2019 but he lost to BJP’s Suresh Pujari by 63,939 votes. Since Prasanna Acharya was not keen to contest from the seat this time, Singh was hopeful of getting the ticket and repeating the 2014 feat.

The BJP has fielded Pradeep Purohit from the Lok Sabha seat.