Odisha: Debasis Nayak quits BJP, joins Congress
BHUBANESWAR: Nearly two months after resigning from the BJD and joining BJP, former minister and four-time MLA Debasis Nayak quit the saffron party and switched over to the Congress.
Nayak joined Congress in the presence of Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar and former president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) NIranjan Patnaik.
Addressing the joining ceremony, Kumar said an outsider has taken over BJD and making all attempts to sideline founder members of the party. The sole intension of 5T chairman VK Pandian is to merge BJD with BJP. This is the last election which the BJD will be contesting as an independent party, he said.
Kumar said Nayak’s entry in the Congress will strengthen the party in Jajpur district and the entire state. Nayak said he was happy to join Congress as he will now be part of the fight to establish democracy in the country and Odia Asmita in the state.
The induction of Nayak to Congress has given rise to possibility of changing its candidate for Bari Assembly constituency and field him instead. Nayak had announced he will contest from Bari, through a social media post, after the BJP fielded Umesh Chandra Jena from the seat. “People of Bari are my strength. Party is not paramount for me. I will contest the poll to serve them,” he added.
Nayak was hoping for a ticket after joining BJP on February 25, having won from Bari for four consecutive terms from 2000 to 2014 on BJD ticket. He had also served as officer-on-special duty during Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s stint as Union steel and mines minister.