Bhubaneswar, Nov 3: In a significant political development ahead of the Nuapada bypoll in Odisha, former BJD Rajya Sabha MP and head of the party’s IT cell, Amar Patnaik joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Monday.

Patnaik joined the saffron party at a ceremony held at the BJP state headquarters in Bhubaneswar in the presence of BJP state president Manmohan Samal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, party’s Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar and other senior leaders.

Patnaik’s switch is seen as a strategic boost for the BJP, especially with the Nuapada by-election scheduled for November 11. His entry is expected to influence voter sentiment and possibly trigger a wave of defections from the BJD.

Sources indicate that several BJD leaders from Nuapada are likely to follow Patnaik’s lead, further strengthening BJP’s position in the region. The timing of the move, amid intense campaigning, has added momentum to the saffron party’s efforts to consolidate its foothold in western Odisha.