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Several Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders and hundreds of their supporters joined the BJP in presence of Union Minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur, Dharmendra Pradhan at Palasagora under Kantamal assembly constituency in Boudh district.
The BJP inducted leaders including BJ Alaka Pradhan, Sushant Hati, Kishore Meher, Anita Naik, Krishnachandra Kaher, Pratush Kumar Rath into the party as the nation goes to polls. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan conveyed his satisfaction regarding the inclusion of leaders into the party and thanked them for "expressing confidence in Modi's guarantee and for joining the party with the resolution of changing the government in Odisha". Earlier this month, Kendrapara Lok Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty, who resigned from BJD, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, asserting that he was deeply inspired by the "dynamism" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I have no complaint against my leader. The reason why I joined the BJP is because of the pace at which our country is developing. Efforts are being made to make India the number one country in the world. I am deeply inspired by the dynamism that our Prime Minister carries and the bold steps that he takes. I considered my leader as a fatherly figure and he will always remain so," Mohanty said. Six-time Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab also resigned from the BJD to join the Bhartiya Janata party. In the recent past, several BJD leaders have quit the party for the BJP. Among those who resigned were a close relative of BJD organising secretary PP Das and popular Odia actor Arindam Roy who joined the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) got the maximum number of seats, followed by the BJP and the Congress. The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8 seats and the Congress bagged just a lone seat.The Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, which comprise 21 constituencies, are set to take place in four phases. The voting dates have been scheduled for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. (ANI)
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