Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Lok Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty on Monday joined the BJP, days after quitting the ruling party in Odisha ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha Elections.
Mohanty said he was feeling "suffocated' in BJD and added that he regarded Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik as "a fatherly figure."
“Despite my unwavering loyalty and deep admiration for you sir, who I have regarded as a fatherly figure, I’ve been grappling with undisclosed concerns that have made me feel suffocated over the past four years,” Mohanty said in his resignation letter to Patnaik.
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Mohanty, praised the Narendra Modi government, saying he was proud to witness the passage of several historic measures in Parliament, including the abolition of triple talaq and the introduction of new criminal laws.
Mohanty is the second sitting MP after Bhartruhari Mahtab to quit the BJD and join BJP ahead of the 2024 polls.
The Kendrapara MP said that for a developed India people should support Modi and added that bold steps have been taken by the government.
Welcoming Anubhav Mohanty to the saffron camp, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde said the opposition is trying to project its strength by coming together but is not succeeding.
Those interested in a developed India are supporting the ruling party, Tawde added.
Mohanty noted that it is often said that artistes do not fit in politics and asserted he tried his best to be a part of it.
He is the second sitting BJD MP after Bhartruhari Mahtab to quit the regional party ahead of the 2024 general elections and join the BJP. Mohanty was a Rajya Sabha member before being elected to the Lok Sabha from Kendrapara in 2019.