Former BJD MP Sujeet Kumar joins BJP

Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) On Friday in presence of senior party leaders.

The BJD on Friday expelled Kumar, who also quit from his Rajya Sabha membership, for anti-party activities.

“I have always dedicated myself to the interest of the party and have, over the years, worked for the party with utmost conviction and commitment. I shall always be indebted to you for nominating me to Rajya Sabha. I take this opportunity to express my sincere and profuse gratitude to you for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of undivided Kalahandi district and to raise issues of the KBK region, and Odisha at large, at the national level”, he wrote in his resignation letter addressed to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik.

“However, I feel that, of late, I have been systematically belittled in the party and that the party does not require my services. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest and request you to accept my resignation,” Kumar said.

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Kumar joined BJP in Delhi in presence of Vijaypal Singh Tomar, Odisha in-charge of the party.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, BJD chief Patnaik said that Kumar stood expelled from the party with “immediate effect for anti-party activities”.

“Instead of taking care of people, Sujeet has cheated with people and also with the party,” he wrote.

With Kumar’s resignation, BJD’s strength in Rajya Sabha now stands at 7 and the party has no members in Lok Sabha.