Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Prior to the state’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Purna Chandra Sethy, a former Odisha MLA, left the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Representing the Ganjam district’s Khallikote Assembly constituency, Sethy announced his resignation from the BJD on Monday, citing his marginalization at the hands of the party led by Naveen Patnaik.
In the presence of former state party chairman Samir Mohanty, state BJP president Manmohan Samal, and other senior leaders, the former legislator joined the saffron party. Sethy added that he felt suffocated in BJD, where it takes months to catch a peek of the party supremo, despite BJP being a democratic party.
Welcoming the ex-MLA, Manmohan Samal said the party will be further strengthened in Ganjam with the entry of Sethy and his followers. It may be noted here that Sethy had represented Khallikote Assembly Constituency from 2009 to 2014 winning two consecutive elections. He was denied a ticket in the 2019 elections and was hopeful to get a ticket for 2024. However, he alleged of being sidelined by the Naveen Patnaik-led party.
Sethy’s resignation came a few days after BJD’s six-time MP from Cuttack Bhartruhari Mahtab resigned from the regional outfit. Earlier, BJD’s two sitting MLAs Arabinda Dhali and Premananda Naik had resigned from the ruling party and joined BJP.
