Bhubaneswar, Nov. 3 -- In a significant political realignment ahead of the upcoming Nuapada by-elections, former BJD Rajya Sabha MP and economist Amar Patnaik formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday in Bhubaneswar.

He was welcomed into the party by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, BJP state president Manmohan Samal, and the party's Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar in the presence of senior leaders and supporters.

Speaking on the occasion, Amar Patnaik described the move as a life-changing moment in his political journey. "I left my job eight years ago to serve the people of Odisha directly. I worked hard in the Rajya Sabha to raise their issues. Now I feel it is time to contribute to nation-building," he...