With the Jharsuguda by-election reaching its climax, the District BJP President from Jharsuguda, Mangal Sahu on Wednesday joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the presence of Senior Rajya Sabha MP and BJD leader Manas Mangaraj.

While speaking on the occasion, Sahu said that the manner in which the murder of Odisha Health Minister Naba Das was politicised, has shocked him; so he decided to quit BJP.

After his joining, he met the party President Naveen Patnaik at his residence in Bhubaneswar.

All the issues that are there in Jharsuguda will be brought to the notice of the Chief Minister and they will be resolved, said Mangal Sahu.

Mangal worked in the BJP State Council twice. He was the MP representative of former Union Minister Debendra Pradhan and later of former Deogarh MP Dharmendra Pradhan. He was with the BJP for the last 25 years.