Bhubaneswar: In a significant development ahead of the Nuapada by-election, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Lambodar Nial has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Nial, who contested the Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat on a BJD ticket, was seen as a strong contender for the party. His decision to join the BJP is likely to boost the party’s prospects in the November 11 by-poll.
Nial’s switch to the BJP comes after a meeting with Jay Dholakia, the son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, who recently joined the BJP. After a prolonged discussion with Jay Dholakia, Nial resigned from BJD and sent his resignation letter to the party president Naveen Patnaik. Subsequently, he joined the BJP, symbolically holding the lotus (party symbol) during the joining ceremony in the presence of BJP state President Manmohan Samal.
Dholakia’s induction into the BJP has been seen as a major coup for the party, and Nial’s joining is likely to further strengthen the party’s position in the constituency.
