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Former Biju Janata Dal leader Baijayant 'Jay' Panda is to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, party sources said.
Panda, who fell apart with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had recently said that he is willing to join hands with anybody "committed to tackling the severe problems that Odisha now faces".
The BJD had suspended Panda from the party over alleged "anti-party" activities in January last year. Subsequently, he resigned from the BJD in May 2018.
The Kendrapara MP's move to join the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections may also have a bearing on the politics of Odisha.
(with PTI inputs)