Jayadev MLA Arabinda Dhali quits BJD, to join BJP

ODISHA: Sitting MLA of Jayadev Assembly seat in Odisha, Arabinda Dhali resigned from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday, ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. Former state minister Dhali tendered his resignation to BJD Supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"I tender my resignation on the dated 01.03.2024 from the primary membership of Biju Janata Dal.You're requested to kindly accept my resignation. This is for your information and necessary action," he wrote in his resignation letter. Jayadev Assembly Seat is one of the 7 assembly segments of the Bhubaneswar Parliamentary Constituency.

While speaking to ANI, Arabinda Dhali said on Saturday that," I gave my resignation yesterday (01.03.2024) from the primary membership of Biju Janata Dal, sent my letter to honourable CM Naveen Patnaik, and decided to join the BJP. I was in the BJP earlier and now am returning to my home Party. I interact with several leaders of Odisha, including the state BJP president, all are given green signal to join the BJP party. I was inspired by the Honourable PM Modi's work and Bharat is going to be Viswa Guru. The whole world is giving respect to Narendra Modi. I will dedicate the rest of my life to the BJP and work accordingly for the betterment of the people." He said that he didn't get the comfort of working in the BJD party, so he decided to join the BJP. He said that, along with him, two thousand workers would join the BJP.

Arabinda Dhali is a five-term member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and, his political career started with the BJP, and he represented Malkangiri in 1992, 1995 and 2000. Later, he joined BJD and successfully contested the Jayadev constituency in 2009 and 2019.

He had also served as the Transport and Corporation Minister in the BJD-BJP alliance government (2000-2004). He left the BJP in April, 2006 with Rama Chandra Panda, a former Deputy Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly, and joined the Bharatiya Janshakti Party of Uma Bharatee . Then, in 2008, he joined the Samajwadi Party and later jumped ship and joined Biju Janata Dal.

Recently, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi and former Odisha minister Debasis Nayak have also joined the BJP.