Ex-MLA Debasis Nayak Joins Congress Leaving BJP, Had Quit BJD to Enter Saffron Party

Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha MLA Debasis Nayak joined the Congress on Saturday. He had earlier resigned from the BJD to join the BJP.

He was welcomed into the Congress by the Odisha Congress in-charge Ajoy Kumar and former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik.

On Friday, in a social media post, Nayak announced that he would contest the assembly election from Bari. He was dissatisfied with the fact that BJP sidelined him and fielded Umesh Chandra Jena from the Bari seat.

“People of Bari are my strength. Party is not paramount for me. I will contest the poll to serve them,” wrote the former Bari MLA Debasis Nayak in his post on X.

He won from Bari for four consecutive terms from 2000 to 2014 on BJD ticket. He also served as state minister. In 2019, he did not get a BJD ticket to contest from the Bari Assembly seat.