Bhubaneswar: Ahead of upcoming Bijepur by-election turncoat politics seems to have taken centre-stage in the assembly segment.
In a jolt to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its senior leader Bhisma Sharaf and local sarpanch Rajesh Seth along with their supporters Monday met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas and formally joined the ruling dispensation.
Patnaik, who welcomed both the leaders, expressed hope that their joining would strengthen the BJD’s base in Bijepur.
“Sharaf and Seth joined the Biju Janata Dal Monday with around 150 supporters. Sharaf’s joining is home coming. Their joining will strengthen our party,” Patnaik said.
Saraf and Seth, on the other hand, said that the Chief Minister’s vision and welfare measures for Bijepur people inspired them to join the ruling party.
Notably, the duo joined the party a day after expelled BJD leader and former Barpalli BJD block president Dhiraj Pradhan along with his supporters had joined the BJP Sunday.
Patnaik had expelled Pradhan for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
Earlier, BJD had announced Rita Sahu, spouse of late MLA of Bijepur Subal Sahu, as its candidate for the imminent by-poll. Unsatisfied with the move, former Bijepur MLA and BJD leader Ashok Panigrahi switched his side and joined BJP in October and was started being projected prominently by the saffron party in the constituency.
Unhappy with this move BJP leader Narayan Sahu met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik November 21 and later joined the ruling party.
Sudarsan Maharana, OP
