Major Political Shake-Up in Odisha: Pushpendra Singhdeo Joins BJP

In a significant political development in western Odisha, Pushpendra Kumar Singhdeo, Chairman of the Kalahandi Zilla Parishad, has resigned from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Singhdeo’s defection was accompanied by several grassroots leaders from Kalahandi and Nuapada districts, including Zilla Parishad members Mahendra Rana, Jayashree Sahoo, Sarita Majhi, Namrata Sahoo, and Daya Nayak. Kuni Sahoo, Chairperson of Karlamunda Block, also switched allegiance, along with Nuapada leaders Malyabant Suna, Muralidhar Bhoi, and Uma Thakur.

The induction ceremony was held at the BJP state office in Bhubaneswar in the presence of State BJP President Manmohan Samal, MPs, MLAs, and senior party officials.

This mass joining signals a strategic boost for the BJP in regions traditionally dominated by the BJD and Congress, ahead of the upcoming electoral battles.

Political observers view this as a major shift in Odisha’s grassroots politics, potentially reshaping the balance of power in Kalahandi and Nuapada.