New Delhi, Mar 28: Senior leader and six-time BJD MP from Cuttack in Odisha, Bhartruhari Mahtab joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi on Thursday, ahead of the general elections.

Mahtab, one of BJD's founder members, joined the BJP at the party's national headquarters here in the presence of party national general secretary Vinod Tawde, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP's Odisha chief Manmohan Samal and national vice president Baijayant Panda.

The veteran MP resigned from the BJD on March 22.

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

He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from Cuttack. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. He retained the seat for BJD in 2019.

Odisha will vote in the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls, which are being held simultaneously, in four phases. The polling will be held on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1.

The votes will be counted with the rest of the country on June 4.

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