**Bhubaneswar:** Senior BJD leader and State Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout taunted newly-inducted member of the ruling party Sulochana Das and said that she might have suddenly found out how much BJD respects women and what BJD has done for the people of Odisha in the last 17 years.
Notably, Sulochana who was Congress party’s spokesperson before joining BJD, was known to be an outspoken critic of the party. As a popular face on television, she used to criticise both the State Government’s policies and the ruling party leaders. Recently, after an ugly war of words with Damodar Rout on a TV debate, she had termed BJD as ‘anti-women’.
Making fun of her political u-turn, Rout said, “She has suddenly realised how much BJD respects women and what it has done for the people of Odisha in last 17 years.”
Similarly, Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati said that her departure will have no effect on the party.
He said, “Those who don’t deserve to be in the party, should leave the party without delay.”
Defending her decision, Sulochana said, “I was fed up with the infighting in the Congress party and was always against the communal forces. That’s why I chose to join BJD.”