Six-time Lok Sabha member and Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, former two-time Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP from Berhampur Sidhant Mohapatra and well-known litterateur of Santali language Padma Shri Damayanti Beshra joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at its party headquarters in New Delhi on March 28.
These leaders were inducted into the party in the presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda, State BJP president Manmohan Samal, national general secretary Vinod Tawde and BJP co-in charge for Odisha Vijaypal Singh Tomar. All the leaders later met BJP president J. P. Nadda in the national capital.
All three new inductees said there was a massive change waiting to take place in Odisha and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi influenced them.
‘Achieving nationalism’
At some juncture in life, a decision must be made, said Mr. Mahtab asserting that achieving nationalism, fostering national unity, and facilitating the development of the eastern part of India can be possible only through the BJP. He believes that joining the saffron party at this moment is the correct choice.
Ms. Beshra said she admires Mr. Modi’s call of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ (together, for everyone’s growth, with everyone’s trust). Similarly, Mr. Mohapatra said he had been keenly observing the pace of development from the days of Mr. Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister and his dynamic leadership would take the country to greater heights.
Mr. Mahtab, son of former Odisha CM late Harekrushna Mahtab, has won the Cuttack seat six consecutive times after the BJD was formed as a political party in 1997. He also edits Odia daily ‘Prajatantra’. The veteran MP had recently quit the BJD and his performance in Lok Sabha was praised by the BJP leadership.
BJP sources said he could be considered for Cuttack Lok Sabha seat as the saffron party’s candidate.
Mr. Mohapatra had won Berhampur Lok Sabha seat twice in 2009 and 2014 general elections as BJD candidate. He had been staying away from the activities of BJD after he was ignored in the 2019 polls.
Ms. Beshra, the tribal writer, hails from Mayurbhanj district and she appears to have developed an interest in politics following Droupadi Murmu’s election.
BJD reaction
The regional party had reacted sharply to the development of two former party members joining the national party. “One leader who joined BJP has remained MP for 26 years and another for 10 years. They do not have their own following and they cannot even win the post of ward member. All that they have achieved in life is due to mercy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. They were a big zero without backing the CM and do not carry any value. The BJP will soon realise this,” said BJD leader Munna Khan.
