Dama played game with BJD

(Surjit Dhal, New Delhi, March 14): Former Odisha Minister and expelled BJD leader Dr Damodar Rout Thursday joined the BJP at a somber ceremony here. He was welcomed into the party by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and greeted by BJP vice president Baijayant Panda in the presence of Odisha party affairs in-charge Arun Singh.

Welcoming Rout into the party Pradhan said, his joining the saffron party will bolster its prospects in Odisha. On the occasion, Rout said he has been in active politics for over four decades after being intiated by legendary Biju Patnaik. “I joined the BJP after gradually realizing that Naveen Patnaik was not keen for the development of the state and to realize the vision of the legendary leader Biju Patnaik,” he said. He said he was removed from the ruling BJD for raising issues of corruption and sloth governance.