Day after quitting Congress, Odisha MLA Prakash Chandra Behera joins BJP

Mar 17 (AZINS) In a setback for the opposition Congress ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections, its Salipur MLA Prakash Chandra Behera joined the BJP on Sunday. He had resigned from the primary membership of the Congress on Saturday.

He joined the BJP in presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi. Former BJD MP and now a BJP leader Baijayant Panda was also present at the media conference.

"I've faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Youths in my constituency impressed with govt's step of surgical strikes," Behera said after joining the BJP.

Pradhan said Behera's presence will help the BJP bring about change in Odisha under PM Modi's leadership.

In a letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Behera had said that he decided to quit the party after being "ignored" by the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) leadership.

Behera, who was for the first time elected from Salipur segment of Cuttack district in 2014, said he has also sent his resignation letter to OPCC chief Niranjan Patnaik.

"I worked in the party for last 20 years, but did not get importance in the Congress," Behera told reporters.

The Congress legislator claimed that he had raised certain issues with the OPCC president, but they were "ignored".

The Salipur MLA had earlier given indication about his move when he stopped using party flag and banners during a recent padyatra in his constituency.

Earlier, three MLAs - Nabakishore Das, Jogesh Singh and Krushna Chandra Sagari, had resigned from the Congress. While Das and Singh joined the BJD, Sagaria went to the BSP.

With Behera's resignation, the number of the Congress MLAs in the 147-member Odisha Assembly has come down to 11.

Of the 16 Congress MLAs elected in 2014 elections, four have resigned from the party and one Subal Sahu from Bijepur in Baragarh district had passed away.

Simultaneous polling will be held in Odisha for its 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 Assembly constituencies in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.