Bhubaneswar: Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh, who quit the party and joined ruling BJD on Saturday is not the first Leader of Opposition to do so in Odisha.
Records show Brundaban Nayak, who was leader of opposition from February 20, 1978 to September 3, 1979, had quit Congress and joined Janata Party which was then in power under the chief ministership of Nilamani Routray.
Nayak, who incidentally represented Hinjili seat in Ganjam district, now held by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, also became a minister in the Janata Party government on October 25, 1979. He held portfolios like works and rural development till February 17, 1980 when the assembly polls were held and Congress came to power.
Singh, who is also a former Odisha minister and CLP secretary Anup Sai joined BJD today in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence here.