BHUBANESWAR: Days after the Orissa High Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against him in the Seashore Chit Fund scam case and directed the Special CBI Court to complete trial within six months, former BJD leader and three-time MLA Pravat Biswal joined the BJP on Sunday.
He and his supporters were welcomed to the party by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and state BJP president Manmohan Samal at the party headquarters here. Biswal had been expelled from the BJD in March this year on charges of anti-party activities.
The chief minister described Biswal’s joining as another milestone in the BJP’s growing organisational strength in the state. He said Biswal’s political experience and grassroots connect would help strengthen the party, particularly in Cuttack district. Majhi claimed that people were increasingly reposing faith in the BJP’s governance, development agenda and its commitment to building a Viksit Odisha as part of the vision of a developed India.
The chief minister asserted that the BJP government had implemented transformative initiatives over the past two years and functioned on the principle of ‘nation first, party second and individual last’. He highlighted recent welfare measures, including free education from KG to PG, the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana and expanded reservation benefits for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Socially and Economically Backward Classes.
After joining the saffron party, Biswal told mediapersons that he was extremely delighted. “I joined the BJP as I am inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been working tirelessly for the development of the country. I will try my best to strengthen the party through my small contribution.”
State BJP president Manmohan Samal said Biswal’s entry would further consolidate the party’s organisation in Cuttack district. He attributed the BJP’s expanding support base to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence that more leaders would join the party.
Biswal’s joining the BJP assumes significance as it comes at a time when eight suspended BJD MLAs including his son Souvic Biswal are waiting in wings to switch over to the saffron party. Several corporators of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, councillors of Choudwar municipality and elected members of Tangi Choudwar panchayat samiti also joined the BJP.
However, his induction into BJP has not gone down well with a section of the party as he has been embroiled in the chit fund case. The BJP had made the chit fund scam a major poll issue in 2024 and had promised to crack down on the perpetrators and also return the money of the depositors. How can a scam accused be allowed into the party, some questioned.