BJP sarapancha who hosted lunch in his house for Amit Shah three years back joins BJD.

BY AK ROUT

Jajpur : In a major embarrassment for the Bharatiya Janata Party , a BJP leader and Sarapanch in Jajpur district who arranged a launch in his house for BJP leader Amit Shah , union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other leaders joined the Biju Janata Dal recently. Dalit leader and Sarapanch of Arei Gram Panchayat Debananda Mallick joined the BJD on 26th December in the presence of BJD MLA of Binjharapur, Pramila Mallick and other BJD leaders at Binjharapur.

The then BJP President Amit Shah addressed a public meeting at Panikoili in Jajpur district on 5th February 2017 and to woo dalit voters Shah before going to address the rally had a stopover at the dalit dominated Arei village under Binjharapur block to have lunch in the house of the Sarpanch Debananda Mallick. Debenanda Mallick was suspended from BJP last month for his anti- party work. His joining in BJD will no way harm the saffron party in the district, said Gautam Ray , the president of the district unit of BJP.