Unboxing BJP's Odisha Coup: Veteran MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, Actor Siddhant Mohapatra, And Academic Damayanti Beshra Join Ranks

Six-time Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who recently resigned from the BJD, officially joined the BJP in New Delhi on Thursday (28 March), alongside former Berhampur MP and actor Siddhant Mohapatra, and acclaimed Santali writer and Padma Shri awardee Damayanti Beshra.

Mahtab, a seasoned editor and politician, has been representing the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat since 1998. He resigned from the BJD last week, citing dissatisfaction with its recent functioning.

This move followed a special court in Odisha framing charges against him in a 13-year-old case of assaulting a police sub-inspector in 2011.

"I am embarking on a new journey with a new team. The change that Odisha is poised to witness can be truly understood by visiting the state. This transformation is happening because of Modiji and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," Mahtab remarked to reporters after joining the BJP.

The joining ceremony was attended by BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde and senior leaders from Odisha including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda, and state unit BJP chief Manmohan Sama as per a report by The Indian Express.

According to the same report, BJP may nominate Mahtab for the prestigious Cuttack Lok Sabha seat.

Mohapatra, a two-term MP from Berhampur from 2009 to 2019, was denied a ticket in the last general election, leading to his withdrawal from active politics.

"I hope to see Odisha experience a similar kind of progress and transformation that we are witnessing under the leadership of the Prime Minister," Mohapatra expressed.

The actor-politician is likely to contest the upcoming assembly polls from a seat in Ganjam district.

Beshra, an esteemed academician and writer, received the Padma Shri in 2020 for her outstanding contributions to Santali literature. Her first anthology, "Jivi Jharna," published in 1994, was the first-ever anthology by a female Santali writer.

The BJP is considering fielding her from the Baripada assembly seat in the tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district.

These developments unfolded amidst the breakdown of possibilities for a pre-poll alliance between the BJD and BJP.