Odisha Elections: Ramesh Chandra Sai Joins BJP; 5th Sitting BJD MLA In Saffron Camp

Bhubaneswar: A day after quitting BJD, Athamalik MLA Ramesh Chandra Sai joined the BJP here on Friday in presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a ‘Misrana Parba’ (joining ceremony) held at Katada in Odisha’s Angul district.

A first-time MLA, Sai had resigned from the Conch party after it nominated Nalini Kanta Pradhan from the Assembly seat on April 3. “I was elected from Athamallik in 2019 after winning by a record 47,000 votes. For personal reasons, I am unable to continue in the party,” he wrote in his resignation letter to BJD president and CM Naveen Patnaik.

Sai was the second BJD MLA to quit after announcement of tickets. Two-time Soro MLA Parsuram Dhada also left the regional party on April 3 after he was dropped and replaced by defector Madhab Dhada from the seat.

Madhab had joined BJD after quitting BJP last month.

Last month, Jaydev MLA Arabinda Dhali and Telkoi MLA Premananda Nayak had joined BJP after deserting BJD. Dhali later told reporters that there was no democracy within the Conch party and senior leaders were being neglected. He will contest from the same seat in the upcoming election on BJP ticket.

Pradeep Panigrahy and Prasanta Jagadev, who were expelled from BJD, are also in the saffron fold. Pradeep is BJP’s MP candidate from Berhampur.