India, Feb. 21 -- Expelled Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a function held in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, officials familiar with the matter said.

Panigrahy, 60, joined the party in the presence of Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal and other senior leaders.

"With permission from central BJP leadership, I have joined the party," he said. He expressed that there has been considerable development in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it is also time for change in Odisha.

"Time has come to rise above regionalism to nationalism. PM's vision of a strong economy, peace indicator and works done by him have infused faith among people an...