Bhubaneswar: Ahead of twin polls for Lok Sabha and Odisha Bidhan Sabha, five-time MLA and former Minister Arabinda Dhali today resigned from BJD and said that he would join the Opposition BJP soon.
Shri Dhali, the MLA of Jayadev in Khurda district, said he has sent his resignation letter to BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik via e-mail. He, however, did not mention any reason for his resignation.
Shri Dhali was first elected to the Assembly from the Malkangiri seat in a by-election in 1992 on a BJP ticket. He retained the seat for two consecutive terms.
He then joined the BJD, and was elected to the Assembly from Jayadev in 2009. He also won the 2019 election from the seat.
My supporters and well-wishers advised me to return to BJP. I will do that. I have sent my resignation to the BJD leadership,” he told media persons.
A law graduate, Shri Dhali served as a Minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government led by Naveen from 2000 to 2004. He held the portfolios of cooperation (2000-2004), textiles and handloom (2000-2002), besides commerce and transport (2002-2004).
Recently, expelled BJD MLAs Pradeep Panigrahy and Prashant Jagdev also joined the BJP. Former Minister Debasis Nayak of the BJD also switched sides recently.
Meanwhile, another expelled BJD leader, Rajendra Das, will be joining the BJP on March 4. The former MLA had contested Dhamnagar by-election as a rebel candidate after BJD fielded Tihidi block chairperson Abanti Das from the seat.
Rajendra had won Dhamnagar on a BJD ticket in 2009. The party, however, denied him a ticket in 2014. Though he was again given a ticket in 2019, some BJD leaders allegedly conspired against him, resulting in his defeat.
