The six-time MP from Cuttack, Bhartruhari Mahtab, who resigned from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) last Friday, on Thursday joined the BJP at its headquarters in New Delhi.

Along with Mahtab, actor-turned-politician and former BJD MP from Berhampur, Siddhant Mohapatra also joined the saffron party. Eminent Santhali writer Damayanti Beshra, too, joined the BJP on the occasion.

Sources said Mahtab is likely to be the party’s candidate for the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat. Similarly, Mohapatra is keen to contest the election. Sources said he will be either fielded as a candidate from the Berhampur Assembly constituency or be projected as the party’s candidate from the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP is yet to announce its candidates for three Lok Sabha seats — Cuttack, Kandhamal and Jajpur.

However, a section of the state unit is supporting Dr Purna Chandra Mohapatra, who recently joined the party and was interested to contest from Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency. On the other hand, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has already announced Santrupt Misra, former HR head of Aditya Birla Group as its candidate from Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency.

After joining the party, Mahtab said: “Odisha is going to witness a change under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Earlier while quitting the party, Mahtab had said he was resigning from the BJD with a broken heart.

“The party was formed in 1997 to fight against corruption. People have showered their love and reposed their faith again and again in the party. But the party seems to have lost its direction,” Mahtab had said.