BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of elections, prominent BJD leader and former minister Debasis Nayak (64), who was once a close confidante of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, quit the ruling party and joined BJP on Sunday. Former Congress MLA from Attabira, Nihar Ranjan Mahananda, too joined the BJP.
Nayak’s switch to the BJP came four days after Gopalpur MLA and former minister Pradeep Panigrahy, who was expelled from the BJD for alleged anti-people activities in November 2020, joined the saffron party.
“With a heavy heart, I am submitting my resignation with immediate effect. Thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of Odisha as well as the party,” Nayak wrote in his resignation letter sent to Naveen Patnaik on February 20. He made the letter public on Sunday.
After joining the BJP, Nayak hit out at the BJD. “I was one of the founder members of the BJD. But I was sidelined and neglected,” Nayak told journalists.
While BJD did not issue any statement, a senior leader of the ruling party denied Nayak’s exit would put any adverse impact ahead of the elections.
Nayak was once so close to Naveen that he served as his officer on special duty while the latter was the Union steel and mines minister in then Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led govt at the Centre.
Nayak was elected from Bari assembly constituency four times consecutively in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014 as a BJD nominee. He was denied a BJD ticket in 2019.
Nayak, who served as a minister from 2004 to 2008, was sacked from Naveen’s council of ministers in 2008 following a controversy, surrounding an alleged sexual assault of a former woman employee of the state assembly. Nayak was suspended from the party on May 30, 2011 for allegedly questioning Naveen’s leadership. His suspension was revoked on July 9, 2012.
Nayak’s switch to the BJP came four days after Gopalpur MLA and former minister Pradeep Panigrahy, who was expelled from the BJD for alleged anti-people activities in November 2020, joined the saffron party.
“With a heavy heart, I am submitting my resignation with immediate effect. Thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of Odisha as well as the party,” Nayak wrote in his resignation letter sent to Naveen Patnaik on February 20. He made the letter public on Sunday.
After joining the BJP, Nayak hit out at the BJD. “I was one of the founder members of the BJD. But I was sidelined and neglected,” Nayak told journalists.
While BJD did not issue any statement, a senior leader of the ruling party denied Nayak’s exit would put any adverse impact ahead of the elections.
Nayak was once so close to Naveen that he served as his officer on special duty while the latter was the Union steel and mines minister in then Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led govt at the Centre.
Nayak was elected from Bari assembly constituency four times consecutively in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014 as a BJD nominee. He was denied a BJD ticket in 2019.
Nayak, who served as a minister from 2004 to 2008, was sacked from Naveen’s council of ministers in 2008 following a controversy, surrounding an alleged sexual assault of a former woman employee of the state assembly. Nayak was suspended from the party on May 30, 2011 for allegedly questioning Naveen’s leadership. His suspension was revoked on July 9, 2012.