Bhubaneswar, May 19 (UNI) Former BJD Minister and three-time MLA from Nimapara Assembly seat Samir Ranjan Dash, who on Sunday resigned from the primary membership of the party, joined the BJP with hundreds of his supporters.
Das was unhappy and expressed his resentment when the party denied him a party ticket to contest the 2024 election. He was elected to the state assembly from the Nimapara seat consecutively three times in the 2009, 2014, and 2019 Assembly elections.
He had organised a massive meeting with his supporters in his constituency and appealed to party Supremo Naveen Patnaik to reconsider his decision. However, the party remained adamant on its stand and refused to reconsider the decision on the Nimapara Assembly seat. The sitting MLA sent his resignation letter from the primary membership to party president Naveen Patnaik in a video message. Dash said he has been with the BJD since 2006 and has worked as a discipline worker. He further said there is no point in remaining in the party when the party leader has lost confidence in him.
Soon after resigning from the party, Dash, along with the hundreds of supporters of his constituency, went to the BJP state party office and joined the BJP in the presence of party president Manmohan Samal and other senior party leaders.
Dash told newsmen at the BJP office that he has been greatly influenced by the developmental work undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the last 10 years.
Political pundits said the decision of Das to resign from the primary membership of the party and join the BJP with his supporters will have an impact on the BJD in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state, more particularly Puri Parliamentary constituency and seven Assembly constituencies under it going to polls on May 25 next.
