BHUBANESWAR: Former minister Raghunath Mohanty and ex-MLA Jiban Pradip Das returned to the Biju Janata Dal in the presence of hundreds of party leaders from Balasore district at Sankha Bhawan here on Wednesday.
Days after former Balasore MP Rabindra Jena switched to BJP from the BJD and suspension of his MLA wife Subasini Jena for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, the return of the two leaders to the regional outfit holds significance.
Mohanty had quit BJD and joined BJP ahead of the 2019 elections after he was not given a ticket by the regional outfit. He was expelled from the BJD in 2014, following his arrest in a dowry case filed against him by his daughter-in-law. Though he was re-admitted to the party in 2018, he resigned and contested from Basta Assembly constituency unsuccessfully in 2019 election. He had resigned from the BJP in 2024.
On the other hand, Dash resigned from primary membership of BJP on March 13 just two days after switching sides from BJD. He was elected from Balasore Sadar Assembly seat on a BJP ticket in 2000. Later, he joined the ruling BJD and won the seat twice in 2009 and 2014 Assembly elections. He, however, lost the 2019 Assembly election to BJP’s Madan Mohan Dutta. He was suspended from BJD in 2020 for anti-party activities.
Political sources said induction of the two leaders will be helpful for rebuilding the BJD in Balasore district after the exit of former MP Jena and suspension of his wife from the party. BJD president Naveen Patnaik welcomed the two leaders at Naveen Niwas.
Mohanty said that he would work to strengthen BJD in Balasore district. Das also expressed his happiness.