BHUBANESWAR: A day after resigning from the Rajya Sabha and BJD, former MP Mamata Mohanta joined the BJP at its national headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday.
She joined the saffron party in the presence of national general secretary Arun Singh, three BJP MPs from Odisha Naba Charan Majhi, Anita Subhadarshini and Pradeep Panigrahi, state Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan and party’s Odisha in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar.
Mohanta said, “I decided to join the BJP with the hope that I will get enough scope to serve the people of my state, especially the Mayubhanj district. As a leader of the Kudumi community I will strive for inclusion of the community in the ST list.”
Expressing her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national BJP president JP Nadda, Union Home minister Amit Shah, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and other leaders, Mohanta said she will carry out any responsibility the party assigns to her.
“I am greatly influenced by the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ ideology of Prime Minister Modi. I love my state very much and my only wish is to serve the people of the state. I will visit Maryubhanj shortly,” she added.
Welcoming Mohanta into the party fold, Singh said her joining will add strength to the BJP in Odisha. “She is a popular tribal leader and has vast experience having worked in different capacities from zilla parishad member, president of BJD Mahila Morcha to member of Rajya Sabha,” he said.
Singh said Majhi preferred to join BJP as she felt neglected in the regional party.
“The BJD did nothing for the poor, marginalised and Adivasis in the last 24 years. There is no development in rural areas for which the people voted the BJP into power,” he said.