Athamallik MLA Ramesh Chandra Sai, who quit the ruling BJD on Thursday, joined the Opposition BJP and became the third legislator of the ruling party to cross over to the saffron camp ahead of the Lok Sabha and the Odisha Assembly polls.

Sai switched sides in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a programme held at Katada in Angul district on Friday.

The Athamallik MLA quit the BJD after he was denied a renomination.

Earlier this week, the party named Nalini Kanta Pradhan, a former works department secretary, as the BJD candidate from the Assembly segment.

“I was elected from Athamallik in 2019 after winning by a record 47,000 votes. For personal reasons, I am unable to continue in the party,” Sai wrote in his resignation letter to BJD president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Earlier, two sitting BJD MLAs — Arabinda Dhali from Jaydev and Premananda Nayak Telkoi — crossed over to the BJP.

Two-time MLA from Soro, Parsuram Dhada, had also left the regional party on April 3, immediately after he was denied a ticket. He was replaced by Madhab Dhada, who joined the BJD after quitting the BJP in March. However, Parsuram was yet to join any party.

Besides, two BJD legislators — Pradeep Panigrahy and Prasant Jagdev, who were expelled from the party — had earlier joined the BJP.

Two BJD MPs — Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack and Anubhav Mohanty from Kendrapara — have already joined the saffron camp.