TNI Bureau: A day after quitting Congress party, Khariar MLA Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today.

Adhiraj joined the State ruling party during a misrana parba at the Sankha Bhawan in the presence of several senior party leaders including Manas Mangaraj and Snehangini Chhuria.

Three block chairmen, 40 sarpanchs and 34 Panchayat Samiti members of the locality also joined BJD along with the former Congress legislator.

It is to be noted here that Adhiraj, who was in Congress for the last 25 years, resigned from the primary membership of Congress and sent his resignation letter to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Sarat Pattnayak yesterday.

After tendering his resignation, the MLA had informed the media that he left the grand old party following the request and suggestions of his supporters and people of Khariar assembly constituency.

Adhiraj had won the 2019 election by defeating the BJD candidate. He is the second MLA of Congress party in Odisha to leave the party ahead of the crucial 2024 elections. Former Rajnagar MLA Anshuman Mohanty had joined the BJD after quitting the Congress earlier.