India, Feb. 25 -- 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.

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...