Former BJD MP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda on Monday joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
He took to his Twitter account to express his gratitude for people’s support and his looking forward to working in BJP under PM Modi.
Nine months of introspection & widespread consultations w/colleagues & public.
Grateful for support recd from all over.
On auspicious #MahaShivratri I’ve decided to join @BJP4India & work under the leadership of @narendramodi Ji to serve Odisha & India to the best of my ability🙏— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) March 4, 2019
“Earlier I used to be a member of BJD, it was an ally of the BJP from the day it was founded. In recent years the party has gone in a different direction and has stopped supporting policies which are in the nation’s interest.”, he said after joining BJP.
“Industries in Odisha are being harassed, goons supported by government are rampaging. Odisha isn’t able to attract investment or create jobs, law and order has broken down. Only BJP under PM Modi and party President Amit Shah is capable of turning it around.”, he added.
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Panda was suspended from the BJD for his ‘anti-party activities’ in January last year.
Later on May 28, 2018, Panda ended his over 18 years of association with BJD by quitting the party.
In his strong-worded resignation letter addressed to BJD chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Panda had stated that he was disappointed with the kind of politics being practised by the party.
“It’s with deep anguish, hurt and sorrow that I have decided to quit the politics into which our BJD has descended,” Panda had written.
He also later resigned as a member of the Lok Sabha from Kendrapara constituency on June 12.
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The relation between Panda and his former party BJD further soured in September after the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers staged a protest in Bhubaneswar, demanding his arrest for allegedly flying his chopper over an “eco-sensitive zone” in Chilika Lake.
Panda, who also describes himself as a helicopter pilot and columnist, has often heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Central government policies. At the same time, he had also criticised Odisha government on various issues.
Recently on February 25, Panda criticised the state government on the education issue and wrote on his twitter, “Odisha education has sharply deteriorated in the past 5 years. The corrupt and the criminal function with such impunity (despite the department’s earlier “strict action”) because they know they can wriggle out by cosying up to the coterie that now runs the state (and protects many like them)!”
So far, Panda has served as Member of Parliament for a total of four times twice in the Lok Sabha and twice in the Rajya Sabha
(With ANI inputs)