TNI Bureau: A week after resigning from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Cuttack MP & Editor of Prajatantra Daily, Bhartruhari Mahtab along with Ollywood cine actor and former BJD MP, Siddhant Mohapatra and Padmashree Damayanti Beshra joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
They joined the saffron party in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP’s National Vice President Baijayanat ‘Jay’ Panda, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal and other senior BJP leaders.
Padma Shri Damayanti Beshra is a Santali author and Adivasi researcher, known for literature of Santali language.
While Ollywood actor-turned-politician Siddhant Mahopatra was a BJD MP from Berhampur (2009 & 2014), Bhartruhari Mahtab was elected to the Lok Sabha from Cuttack Parliamentary Constituency six times (1998, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019) on BJD ticket.
Bhartruhari is also the recipient of Sansad Ratna Award 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 for his outstanding performance in ‘Debates’.
After his joining, it’s believed that Mahtab is likely to be fielded from Cuttack Lok Sabha Constituency against BJD’s Santrupt Misra.
It’s not immediately known whether Siddhant and Damayanti will contest the assembly polls.
The BJP has announced candidates for 18 constituencies in Odisha for Lok Sabha elections 2024. The candidates for the remaining 3 Lok Sabha seats are yet to be announced.