Bhubaneswar, Mar 28: Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday welcomed former BJD MPs Bhartruhari Mahtab, Sidhant Mohapatra and Padma awardee Damayanti Beshra to BJP 'family'.

"I welcomed veteran leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, renowned writer and Padma Shri awardee Damayanti Beshra and popular actor and politician Sidhant Mohapatra to the BJP family," Pradhan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The decision of these three personalities to join the BJP family, motivated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat', 'Viksit Odisha', 'Purvoday' and 'Sabka Sath-Sabka Vikas', is welcome. Wave of change is visible in Odisha. With the joining of such experienced and established people in BJP, the determination to bring change in Odisha will be stronger," he added.

Odisha is “going to” witness a “change” due to Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, Pradhan said.

In a major setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the 2024 general elections, six-time BJD MP from Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency Bhartruhari Mahtab and two-time BJD MP from Berhampur Sidhant Mohapatra and noted Santali language litterateur Damayanti Beshra joined BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi today.

Also Read: Jolt To BJD, Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab Quits Party

Mahtab, Mohapatra and Beshra joined the saffron party in the presence of Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, party national vice president Baijayant Jay Panda and other senior leaders.

After joining the saffron party, they called on BJP national president JP Nadda in the national capital.

In the recent past, several BJD leaders including sitting MP and MLAs quit the Naveen Patnaik-led party and joined the BJP.

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