Former BJP leader Subash Chauhan joins BJD

Bhubaneswar:  Senior BJP leader Subash Chauhan, who quit the saffron party on Tuesday after being denied a party ticket, joined Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday.

Chauhan ended his 30-year association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following denial of ticket to contest from the Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency.

He joined the BJD in presence of party President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"Chauhan's joining will strengthen the party's position in the state, especially in western Odisha," said Patnaik. "Chauhan will be given a good position in the party".

Chauhan said he had put no conditions for joining the regional party and maintained that he would not contest the elections this time.

Even though BJP had appointed him the state Vice President, he declined the offer.

The BJP has given ticket to Suresh Pujari for the Bargarh seat, ignoring Chauhan, who had lost the last election to BJD's Prabhas Singh by 11,178 votes.

Meanwhile, three former Congress MLAs of Kalahandi district resigned from the primary membership of the party over alleged partiality in ticket distribution on Wednesday.

Former Junagarh MLA Gobardhan Dash, former Narla MLA Kumar Mani Sabar and former Dharmagarh MLA Jugaram Behera sent their resignation letters to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik.

They alleged that they were ignored and sidelined by the party during selection of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.