Former Minister Raghunath Mohanty, Ex-MLA Jiban Pradip Dash Rejoin BJD

Bhubaneswar: In a significant political development, former minister Raghunath Mohanty and ex-Balasore MLA Jiban Pradip Dash rejoined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday, along with their supporters.

Both leaders formally returned to the BJD after meeting party President Naveen Patnaik at his residence, Naveen Niwas. They were later accorded a warm reception at Sankha Bhawan by several senior party leaders.

Among those present to welcome them were BJD senior vice president Debi Prasad Mishra, along with prominent leaders such as Pratap Jena, Pranab Prakash Das, Snehangini Chhuria, Lekhasri Samantsinghar, and Lenin Mohanty. The two leaders are considered influential political figures in the Balasore region.

Raghunath Mohanty had earlier quit the BJD and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2019 elections. Similarly, Jiban Pradip Dash had also switched to the BJP. However, both leaders eventually parted ways with the BJP. Mohanty resigned from the party in April 2024, while Dash stepped down following the induction of former Balasore MP Rabindra Kumar Jena into the BJP on March 11. Dash had cited a decline in ethical standards and value-based politics within the party as the reason for his resignation.

Their return is expected to strengthen the BJD’s organizational base in northern Odisha, particularly in Balasore, ahead of upcoming political engagements, as per sources.