Bhubaneswar, Apr 7 (PTI) Former Odisha minister Ganeswar Behera, who had recently resigned from the Congress, joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday.
The BJD is likely to field Behera, a Dalit leader, from the Kendrapara assembly segment which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates, party sources said.
Behera along with hundreds of his supporters switched sides in the presence of BJD’s Rajya Sabha MPs Manas Nagaraj and Sasmit Patra and former minister Pratap Jena here at the party’s headquarters, Sankha Bhawan.
“Inspired by the developmental work and welfare measures taken by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, I have joined the BJD,” Behera said.
The former state minister said he crossed over to the ruling party to participate in the development process and expedite welfare work in Kendrapara district.
Behera had on April 2 resigned from the Congress.
In the 2019 polls, Shashi Bhusan Behera of the BJD had won the Kendrapara assembly seat by defeating Ganeswar by a margin of 6,320 votes. PTI BBM Bhubaneswar, April 7 (PTI) Former Odisha minister Ganeswar Behera, who had recently resigned from Congress, joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday.
Behera, a dalit leader from Kendrapara district, along with hundreds of his supporters formally inducted in the BJD in presence of BJD’s Rajya Sabha MPs Manas Nagaraj and Sasmit Patra and former minister Pratap Jena here at party office Sankha Bhawan. “Inspired by the developmental works and welfare measures taken by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, I have joined the BJD,” he said.
Behera said he joined the ruling party to participate in the developmental process and expedite the developmental works in Kendrapara district. On April 2, he resigned from the primary membership of the party.
Following his joining, the BJD is likely to field Behera from the Kendrapara assembly segment which is reserved for the scheduled caste candidates.
In the 2019 polls, Shashi Bhusan Behera of BJD had won the seat by defeating Ganeswar Behera by a margin of 6,320 votes. PTI BBM BBM BDC
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