Debasis Nayak, senior BJD leader and former Odisha minister, joins BJP

Debasis Nayak, once among the trusted aides of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, joined the BJP in presence of state unit president Manmohan Samal.

Updated on: Feb 25, 2024, 22:04:54 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: Former Odisha minister and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Debasis Nayak, once among the trusted aides of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, resigned from the party on Sunday ahead of the upcoming state and general elections, people aware of the matter said.

Former Odisha minister and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Debasis Nayak (Twitter Photo)

In a letter to Patnaik, the four-time MLA conveyed his decision to resign from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect. Nayak, who earlier represented the Bari constituency, did not cite any reason to resign from the ruling BJD.

Hours after resigning, Nayak joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of state unit president Manmohan Samal. “There is Tamil rule in BJD. The party is affected by the Jayalalitha [former Tamil Nadu CM] syndrome and is no longer the same party as it used to be. It knows well that it won’t get votes. This is why it is importing people from other parties,” he said.

Nayak was elected from the Bari constituency in Jajpur district four times in a row as a BJD candidate in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

Nayak, who was once the most trusted confidante of Patnaik, served as the officer-on-special duty during his stint as Union steel and mines minister in the then Atal Behari Vajpayee-led government.

When Patnaik returned to Odisha in 2000 and became chief minister, Nayak was given a ministerial portfolio. However, in 2008, he was shunned from the council of ministers following a controversy.

In 2011, he was suspended from the party after he questioned the BJD supremo’s style of functioning and the rationale behind expelling founder-members of the party. He returned to the party again a year later. In 2019, he did not get a party ticket.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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