Former BJD Minister Samir Ranjan Dash joins BJP

Bhubaneswar, May 19: Hours after resigning from the BJD, Nimapara MLA and former minister Samir Ranjan Dash joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the state headquarters. He was welcomed by party president Manmohan Samal, BJP’s state election in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar, Nimapara MLA candidate Pravati Parida, and other leaders.

Dash, along with his supporters, embraced the BJP, citing inspiration from the party's ideology and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

In his remarks after joining the BJP, Dash expressed his commitment to diligently fulfill any responsibilities assigned to him by the party. "I had been a disciplined worker in the BJD for several years, but the party and its leadership lost trust in me and my organization in Nimapara. I cannot work in a party where there is a trust deficit. Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and his style of functioning inspired me to join the BJP. I will work for the party with dedication, irrespective of the position," Dash stated.

Earlier in the day, Dash resigned from the BJD, citing a loss of confidence from the party leadership. The BJD had denied him a ticket for the upcoming elections, opting instead to nominate Dillip Nayak from Nimapara.