BHUBANESWAR: Former MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai joined the BJP here on Thursday in presence of senior party leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan and national vice-president Baijayant Panda.
A former spokesperson of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC),Tarai resigned form the primary membership of the grand old party on Wednesday even after being nominated by the party for Tirtol Assembly seat.
“I decided to quit Congress when I realised that the party has a secret understanding with the BJD and it was never serious of winning the elections,” Tarai said after joining the saffron party.
Expressing displeasure over ticket distribution in Congress, the former MP from Jagatsingpur said the decision of the party to field a person facing serious criminal charges from Paradip was the last straw for him. The Congress has nominated Arindam Sarkhel from Paradip.
Sources close to Tarai said he wanted to be fielded from Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat which he won in 2009 on CPI ticket. However, the Congress fielded him from Tirtol Assembly segment without consulting him.
On his decision to join the BJP, Tarai said people of the State now want a change of Government in Odisha and re-elect Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of the country. A change of Government in the State is inevitable as the BJD has done nothing in the last 19 years, he said.
Tarai further alleged that the Congress is not serious in fighting the elections as it wants further continuation of the Naveen Patnaik Government in the state.
From Left to Right, the political journey of Tarai has come a full circle. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Jagatsingpur on a CPI ticket as the Left party had an electoral understanding with BJD in 2009. He was later expelled from the party over alleged anti-party activities following which he joined the Congress ahead of 2014 General Elections.
Former Congress MLA from erstwhile Khunta Assembly seat under Mayurbhanj Parliamentary constituency Biram Murmu and former Nimapara MLA Benudhar Sethi also joined BJP on the day.