BHUBANESWAR: At a time when major political parties are burning the midnight oil to finalise their candidates for key Assembly constituencies of the state capital, BJD leader and former MLA of Bhubaneswar-North constituency Priyadarshi Mishra resigned from the party and joined BJP setting stage for a challenging contest in the seat.
The constituency, has historically been a fortress of BJD, which has been holding on to it for the last three terms. In fact, Mishra himself had retained the seat for the party in 2014 defeating BJP’s Dillip Mohanty.
In 2019, however, the regional outfit dropped him and fielded Susanta Kumar Rout from the seat. Alleging lack of acknowledgement for leaders who have worked for decades for the growth of the party and lack of scope for involvement in party activities, Mishra joined the BJP at the party headquarters here on Saturday, making it clear that he has joined the saffron party unconditionally and is ready to do whatever task the party assigns him.
Political observers, however, underlined that Mishra’s move could add a fresh twist to the present political dynamics in the Assembly segment, especially when ticket allocations from the major parties are still pending for the ensuing elections.
In Bhubaneswar-North, both Mishra and incumbent MLA Susant Kumar Rout were said to be the front runners for a ticket from BJD. However, with Mishra switching sides, sources said BJD may have to recalibrate its strategy before finalising its candidate for the seat, as the former MLA, one of the leading politicians of the area, had won with a vote margin of over 48,000 in the 2014 elections.
On the other hand, Mishra’s entry into the BJP camp is also expected to intensify competition within the party. While Dilip Mohanty and Piyush Mohanty, were so far been the front-runners for a ticket from the party for the constituency, a party insider said Mishra joining could also potentially position him as a strong contender from BJP for the seat.