Bhubaneswar: In an important development, former Congress MLA from Mohana in Gajapati district MLA Chakradhar Paika joined Biju Janata Dal (BJD) along with hundreds of his followers today.
BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik welcomed the Ex-MLA into the conch party fold in a grand manner at the Naveen Niwas.
Soon after joining the conch party Paika dubbed it as homecoming by citing the name of Utkal Congress Party of late Biju Patnaik, of which he was a member in 1974.
Answering to a question put up by media persons, the former Mohana MLA said, his only objective is to serve the people of Mohana and it has prompted him to join the conch party.
Notably, Paika was elected to the Assembly in 1974 from Ramagiri constituency in Utkal Congress’ ticket. Later, he joined Congress party and againg got elected as an MLA in 2009 election. However, in 2014 he faced defeat at the hands of BJD candidate after contesting as an independent candidate in his constituency.
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Ms Kalinga