BJD legislator Arabinda Dhali and ex-IAS officer Hrusikesh Panda from Odisha join BJP

In a major political development in Odisha, senior leaders from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have been joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A sitting BJD MLA, Arabinda Dhali, along with several other leaders, joined the BJP at a programme held at the party office in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

Jayadev MLA Dhali, who had previously won thrice from Malkangiri on a BJP ticket and later twice from Jayadev on a BJD ticket, criticized the BJD government, stating that “the current regime is no longer good for the state” and predicted that the BJP would come to power soon.

Former Malkangiri MLA Mukunda Sodi and retired Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik also joined the BJP, along with a 1979-batch IAS officer and writer, Hrusikesh Panda, from Bhadrak district. Panda had served in top bureaucratic positions in both Union and state governments.

The BJD responded by accusing the BJP of failing to create new leaders and relying on those expelled from the BJD. The political landscape in Odisha seems to be shifting with these leader crossovers, hinting at a larger political realignment in the state in the near future.