ANGUL: Former BJD minister and four-time MLA Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo will join BJP on November 19.
Citing personal problems, Sahoo had sent his resignation letter to BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on November 3. BJD had denied him a ticket in the 2019 elections following which he felt neglected by the party.
Sahoo said he will formally join BJP at Bhubaneswar in presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Besides, hundreds of his supporters from Athamallik constituency will also join BJP. “There are many others who will follow me in joining BJP at a later stage,” he said. Sahoo was first elected to the State Assembly from Birmaharajpur in 2003 bypoll and again in 2004 General Elections.
Subsequently, he was elected as a legislator twice from Athamalik constituency in 2009 and 2014. Sahoo was made a minister twice in the BJD government. He was dropped from the ministry in 2012 for being part of the midnight ‘coup’ attempt by Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, the then confidante of Naveen.
Political observers said Sahoo’s exit will deal a severe blow to BJD in Athamallik constituency. On the other hand, after Sahoo’s entry in BJP, the fate of Bhagirathi Pradhan, who has been contesting from Athamallik on the saffron party ticket for a long time, has become uncertain. It remains to be seen how the rank and file of BJP accept Sahoo and his supporters who were bitter rivals in the constituency.
A similar situation prevails in Dhenkanal’s Hindol after former BJD Minister Anjali Behera joined BJP recently. She was also dropped from the ministry in 2012 for attending Mohapatra’s midnight meeting. After being denied a BJD ticket in 2014, she contested as an independent from Hindol and lost. Sources said entry of the two BJD leaders in BJP ahead of the panchayat polls may boost the chances of the saffron party in Athamallik and Hindol constituencies.