Bhubaneswar: Former BJD MLA Purna Chandra Sethy, who resigned from the primary membership of the party, joined the BJP in Odisha.
Sethy, a two-time BJD MLA from the Khallikote Assembly seat, resigned from both the primary membership of BJD and the state council last Monday.
After resigning from the BJD, Sethy joined the BJP in the presence of the party’s state President Manmohan Samal and other senior party leaders.
Sethy was elected to the state Assembly on a BJD ticket for the Khallikote Assembly seat twice, in 2009 and 2014. However, he was denied a party ticket in the 2019 Assembly elections but was assured that his candidature would be considered in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Sethy sent his resignation letter to party President Naveen Patnaik. Soon after joining the BJP, the former BJD MLA heavily criticised the BJD government in the state, alleging that a shadow government is being run by non-Odias.
Sethy stated that he joined the BJP because it is the only alternative capable of bringing all-round development to the state. He further emphasized that the people of the state have placed their faith in the Modi government and the guarantees provided by Modi, which will be reflected in the upcoming elections in the state.
Recently, senior BJD leader and six-time Lok Sabha MP from Cuttack, Bhartruhari Mahtab, also resigned from the primary membership of the party, expressing strong displeasure over the party’s affairs in the state.
UNI