Odisha Elections 2024: Nilagiri MLA Sukanta Nayak Turns Back On BJP, Homecoming Likely

Bhubaneswar: Hours after BJP Cuttack district president Prakash Chandra Behera quit BJP, two-time MLA from Nilagiri Sukanta Nayak also sent his resignation letter to state president Manmohan Samal on Friday.

The legislator is likely to return to the BJD fold, sources said.

Nayak had dumped the BJD ahead of the 2019 election after the party inducted ex-BJP leader Sushamarani Biswal, who had unsuccessfully fought the 2014 assembly election against him from Nilgiri, and retained the seat but on a BJP ticket. He defeated BJD’s Santosh Khatua by a margin of 1577 votes in 2019.

Behera’s resignation came a day after Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab joined the BJP. He is also likely to join the Conch party.

The BJD too had earlier seen an exodus of leaders to BJP ahead of the elections. Among them were popular Odia actor Arindam Roy, who is also the brother-in-law of BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das. A day after quitting BJD, Jayadev MLA Arabinda Dhali also joined the saffron party on March 3 along with former MLA from Malkangiri Mukunda Sodi, and former bureaucrat Hrusikesh Panda. Retired Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik, former joint secretary in Rajya Sabha Ramakanta Das, and BJD’s Digapahandi block chairman Bipin Pradhan also joined the BJP.

Two more sitting MLAs, Pradeep Panigrahi, Prashant Jagdev, who were earlier expelled from BJD, are now in saffron fold. Pradeep Panigrahi is also the BJP candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha seat.

Another BJD senior tribal leader and former minister Balabhadra Majhi quit the party, alleging neglect, and joined the Congress.

On March 25, senior BJD leader and former Khalikote MLA Purna Chandra Sethy also resigned from the primary membership of the regional party.

On Thursday, former Chitrakonda MLA Dambaru Sisa also resigned from BJD.