New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) Onetime confidant of Late Biju Patnaik and a veteran of Odisha politics Damodar Raut on Thursday joined BJP giving the saffron party a major booster in the run up to the elections in the eastern state.
Odisha will go for elections to elect its 21 members for Lok Sabha as well as the the legislators for 147-member assembly elections.
Mr Raut, who has been state legislator for 35 long years since 1977 to 2019, is likely to contest from his bastion Paradip assembly seat.
“I was an associate of Biju Patnaik but Naveen Patnaik did not like my initiating actions against corrupt officials in Rs 34 crore seed scam, Rs 800 crore cooperative scam and Rs 250 crore horticulture scam. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik removed me,” said Mr Raut, who was expelled from BJD recently.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, new entrant to BJP Baijayant Panda, BJP MP Anurag Thakur and BJP in charge for Odisha Arun Singh were also present when Mr Raut formally took the membership of BJP.
Reports from Odisha say to counter Mr Raut’s influence in the Paradip constituency, Naveen Patnaik has sent in feelers to his son Sambit Raut and may give him ticket too.
But 72-year-old veteran Raut, who has held around 20 portfolios in his distinguished career including Health, Agriculture and Excise, said, “No matter, whatever they try; whom so ever Naveen wants to field including my son; I cannot lose in Paradip if do no desire about it”.
Mr Raut also said that he has decided to join BJP because he believes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can only deliver “good governance” to the state of Odisha.
Articulating his new found dislike for Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, MrRaut said: “He is the only Chief Minister for last 19 years and has been still unable to speak Odiya properly”.
UNI DP/DEVN 2107