New Delhi: Ahead of Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly polls, six-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab today joined the BJP in presence of party’s National President J P Nadda.
Shri Mahtab along with former BJD MP Sidhant Mohapatra and noted Santali language litterateur Damayanti Beshra, who was conferred the Padma Shri in 2020, also joined the BJP.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, State BJP President Manmohan Samal, BJP National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda and other senior leaders also present there.
Addressing a joint press conference here after joining the BJP, Shri Mahtab said he will now get the opportunity to work for the development and progress of Odisha.
“Prime Minister Modi’s shakti (strength), Home Minister’s vishwas (trust) and (BJP Chief) J P Nadda ji’s prerna (inspiration) will help us move forward,” he said.
Odisha is going to” witness a change due to Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, he added.
Shri Mahtab, a six-time MP from the Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency, had resigned from the primary membership of the BJP last Friday. He was also a founding member of the BJD.
Shri Mahtab was elected to Lok Sabha from Cuttack seat in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. He defeated the BJP’s Prakash Mishra with a huge margin of votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
According to BJP sources, Sidhant Mohapatra is likely to contest from a MLA seat in Ganjam district, probably Berhampur seat while Damayanti may contest from Baripada MLA segment. Whether Shri Mahtab will contest from Cuttack MP seat or not, is not finalized yet.