Former Odisha Minister Premananda Nayak, 2 Ex-MLAs Likely To Join BJP Today

Bhubaneswar: A sitting MLA and at least two former legislators in Odisha are likely to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.

While Telkoi MLA and former minister Premananda Nayak, who recently resigned from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), is all set to join BJP at a special programme in Bhubaneswar on Monday, former Dhamnagar MLA Rajendra Das is also likely to join the saffron party.

Similarly, former Bhadrak MLA Naeren Palai, who resigned from Congress party, is also reported to be getting ready to join BJP at the state party headquarters in Bhubaneswar. Palai was MLA from Bhadrak constituency from 2004 to 2009.

Notably, Jaidev MLA and former Minister Arabinda Dhali joined BJP on Sunday after resigning from BJD. Apart from Dhali, two other sitting MLAs Pradeep Panigrahi and Prasant Jagadev, who had been expelled from BJD, joined the saffron party in the state recently.

After resigning from BJD, Telkoi MLA Premananda Nayak had told the media that he felt sidelined in the regional party. “I was denied access to CM and could not meet him to raise my concerns about the party. We were not happy with inclusion of a former ‘defeated’ Congress leader in BJD before the Panchayat election. It affected the unity in the party and led to factionalism. I tried to raise this issue but in vain. Following which, I decided to quit the party,” he said.