By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 14, 2019: Putting all speculations to the rest, former Odisha Minister and Paradip MLA Damodar Rout joined BJP at the party’s headquarters at New Delhi on Thursday evening ahead of the forthcoming election-2019.

Damodar joined the saffron party in the presence of Odisha BJP in-charge Arun Singh, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha Legislative Party leader KV Singh Deo, Baijayant Panda, Anurag Mathur among others.

Damodar was expelled from the Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) earlier, Later, he had formed the Biju Samata Kranti party.

Welcoming him to the party fold, Pradhan terms Rout’s joining BJP as “achhe din” for Odisha BJP.

Rout, a seven-time MLA, joined the Saffron Party hours after he said he will continue his fight to ensure that Naveen Patnaik (President of BJD) fails to form Government in the State in the upcoming elections.

Speaking to the media, Rout said that the good governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leadership quality of party’s national president Amit Shah forced him to join the BJP.

“After a lot of mental exercise, I joined the BJP today. Late Biju Patnaik had brought me to politics and his sole agenda was to work for the people but things changed after his demise and Naveen Patnaik became the chief minister. He has no love and affection for the people of Odisha. His government is dipped in corruption. It’s the duty of a minister to curb corruption but even after repeated complaints, Naveen didn’t take any action against the corrupt people and continued supporting them,” he remarked.

The 77-year-old leader, who often courted controversies for his wild statements, was expelled from the ruling BJD in September last year for his alleged anti-party activities.

Rout, who has launched a campaign against the BJD and Patnaik since his removal from the Cabinet, had said both BJP and Congress were in touch with him.

Rout had been a minister in all the four governments headed by Naveen Patnaik and was seen to be close to him before falling out with the BJD Chief.