Putting all speculations to rest, former minister Ganeswar Behera on Sunday joined the BJD at a function held at Bhubaneswar. Behera resigned from the primary membership of the Congress on April 2.
Behera joined BJD along with scores of his supporters in the presence of senior party leaders.
It is pertinent to mention here that Behera had contested from the Kendrapara Assembly seat in 2019 and lost the polls by a narrow margin to BJD candidate. Prior to this, he had won from Patamundai in 1985 and 1995.
Speculations are rife that the BJD might rope in Behera from Kendrapara in the 2024 elections.
Earlier, senior leader and Odisha BJP vice-president Lekhashree Samantsinghar had also resigned from the primary membership of the party. Later, she joined the BJD.
However, Congress said that the party has not meted out any injustice to Ganeswar Behera.
Chairperson of OPCC Media Cell, Dr Biswaranjan Mohanty, said, ”Ganeswar Behera has left the party to serve his personal ambition and interests. Rather, Congress has built him as a leader.”
Mohanty also added that Behera's joining the BJD may affect the Congress for some time, but many strong leaders in that area who had not been getting justice over the years as we were establishing a single leader. One of them will take his place, he added.