Sitting BJD MLA from Gunupur Assembly constituency Ramamurty Mutika on Tuesday resigned from the party after he was denied a ticket to contest the 2014 polls.
Earlier in the day, BJD has announced Trinath Gamang as its candidate for Gunupur Assembly seat. Mutika said he will join the BJP and contest from Gunupur Assembly constituency. Sources maintained that many more BJD leaders who have been denied tickets are contemplating to quit the party.
Meanwhile, senior leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) including former MLA Nihar Soren, Krushnananda Mohanty, Shiv Marandi and Prashant Patnaik, joined the BJD here in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday.
Soren was elected to the State Assembly from Biramitrapur constituency in Sundargarh district on a JMM ticket in 2004 but was however, defeated by George Tirkey (independent) from the same constituency in 2009.