Interview Times 
Bhubaneswar , Mar 27: As Odisha Assembly elections,are on its way,. Six-time Congress MLA Suresh Routray’s son Manmath Routray joined the ruling BJD in Odisha Wednesday.Manmath, a former commercial pilot, went to the BJD headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, with his supporters in a procession. He was inducted into the party by its MPs Manas Mangaraj and Sasmit Patra.
with his supporters and some councilors, Manmath took out a rally and reached BJD headquarters where he was formally inducted into the party in the presence of its senior leaders. after joining the conch party, Manmath stated that: Both my father Sura Routray and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have the same ideology and they want to serve the people of our state.
He further added Although my father allowed me to join the BJD with a heavy heart, we understand the importance of embracing change,” Manmath Stated. It is worth mentioning that Manmath had made his intention clear in 2023 to contest the 2024 polls. He had made clear that he won’t contest the polls on a Congress ticket even though his father has been in the grand old party for decades now.
Notably, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had in September last year ‘suspended’ Manmath from the party after he said that he would not contest the elections on Congress ticket. However, he had later dismissed the order saying he was never a member of the Congress.
