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Exodus from BJD continues

In another jolt to the BJD, senior leaders Arjun Sethi and Mohan Jena resigned from the primary membership of the party to join the BJP.

Published: 31st March 2019 10:27 AM  |   Last Updated: 31st March 2019 10:27 AM   |  A+A A-

Bhadrak MP Arjun Sethi joining BJP in presence of party’s national secretary and Odisha in charge Arun Singh on Saturday.

Bhadrak MP Arjun Sethi joining BJP in presence of party’s national secretary and Odisha in charge Arun Singh on Saturday. (Photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: In another jolt to the BJD, senior leaders Arjun Sethi and Mohan Jena resigned from the primary membership of the party to join the BJP on Saturday.

Denied ticket, sitting MP from Bhadrak Arjun Sethi and his son Abhimanyu joined the saffron party here in the presence of senior BJP leaders including Union Minister Dahrmendra Pradhan. Sethy is the third BJD MP to join the BJP after fromer MP from Kendrapara Baijayant Panda and Nabarangpur MP Parsuram Majhi.

The eight time MP from Bhadrak, Sethi had been lobbying hard for a ticket for his son Abhimanyu. “I have joined BJP without any precondition. It is for the party leadership to decide,” said the Bhadrak MP after his induction into the saffron party.

Welcoming Sethi, Pradhan recalled the former’s tenure as a minister in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

The joining of the veteran leader from Bhadrak along with his supporters and former MLAs from the district including Madhusudan Panigrahi and Prafulla Kumar Jena ahead of elections will further strengthen the BJP, he said.  “Exodus of a large number leaders from the BJD and their preference to join the BJP indicate that the state is heading for a big change,” the Union Minister added.

Earlier, sitting MP from Nabarangpur Parsuram Majhi had joined the BJP after being denied renomination from BJD. The BJP has fielded Majhi from the tribal dominated Lok Sabha seat.

Former MP from Jajpur Mohan Jena also joined the BJP. Sethi who started his political career from Congress has been elected to Lok Sabha on BJD ticket for the fifth time in a row from 1998. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971 on Congress ticket. After jumping to Janata Dal, he was elected to the lower house of the Parliament in 1991. He, however, lost the 1996 General Elections to Muralidhar Jena of Congress.

With the BJP still struggling to find a suitable candidate for the Bhadrak (SC) seat, joining of Sethi father and son duo is like a shot in the arm for the saffron party. 

A stronghold of the BJD, all the seven Assembly seats under Bhadrak Parliamentary constituency are represented by the ruling party. Surendra Prasad Pramanik, former Soro MLA, also resigned BJD and joined the saffron party.