Bhubaneswar, November 19: Former Minister and four-time BJD MLA Sanjeeb Sahoo along with hundreds of his supporters on Friday joined the BJP here.
Sahoo joined the saffron party in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and party State unit president Samir Mohanty at the party headquarters here.
“As per the suggestion of my supporters, I joined the BJP today,” Sahoo said.
The ex-Minister further said that he joined the BJP for overall development of his area.
Sahoo had resigned from the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD on November 3 last citing personal reasons. The 61-year-old politician was first elected from Birmaharajpur on a BJD ticket in 2003 by-poll. He was re-elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the same constituency in 2004. Later, he was elected to the Assembly from Athmallik constituency twice in 2009 and 2019.
However, the Sahoo was denied a BJD ticket during the last elections in 2019.
Sahoo was a Minister of State, Panchayati Raj and Science & Technology from 2006 to 2008. He also held the portfolio of Minister of State (Independent) of School & Mass Education and Commerce & Transport from 2008 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2012, respectively.
