Bhubaneswar: In a major setback for BJD for Laxmipur Assembly segment, former MLA and BJD leader Kailash Kulesika joined the BJP today.
Shri joined the BJP in presence of State President Manmohan Samal and other leaders, a day after BJD denied him MLA ticket from Laxmipur.
The BJD re-nominated sitting MLA Prabhu Jani from the Laxmipur assembly constituency for the upcoming elections, on Thursday.
This decision marks a departure from Shri Kulesika’s expectations, as he had hoped to secure the BJD nomination after joining the party in 2021.
“I joined the BJD after the party promised me to give ticket for the Laxmipur Assembly seat. But, the party betrayed me by denying ticket in this election,” alleged Shri Kulesika.
He also alleged that BJD assured him to give Special Development Council (SDC) and Rs 1 crore after the elections, but he denied it and joined the BJP. “People will give BJD a befitting reply for betraying me,” he added.
After joining him in the party, BJP’s hope to win the Assembly seat for the first time since independence has been brighten.
Shri Kulesika, an active organiser in the tribal area, was elected to State Assembly once in 2014 from Congress ticket. However, he lost the 2019 Assembly election on a Congress ticket to BJD Nominee by a slender margin of 229 votes.
Subsequently, he switched his allegiance to BJD, anticipating a favourable outcome in the party’s ticket allocation process. However, the BJD fielded sitting Lawmaker.
Meanwhile, Senior leader of BJD and vice-president of its Bhadrak district unit Asit Patnaik along with his supporters joined Congress yesterday.
He joined the party in presence of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Patnaik, Campaign Committee chief Bhakta Charan Das and other senior leaders of the party including Niranjan Patnaik.
Speaking to the media, OPCC president said Asit will not strengthen the party organisation in Bhadrak district but also the entire state. It is an indication of Congress’ bright chances in the elections to form government in Odisha, he added.