Former director of human resources (HR) of Aditya Birla Group, Santrupt Misra, joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday.

Soon after he joined the party, BJD president Naveen Patnaik appointed him as the national spokesperson of the party.

Misra went to Naveen Niwas, met party supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik and joined the party in the presence of senior party leaders including Naveen’s close aide V.K. Pandian.

Welcoming Misra to the BJD, Naveen said: “He left an important corporate job to help us in our good work.”

Misra recently took voluntary retirement from service and was in constant touch with the BJD. He served as HR director of the Aditya Birla Group. He was also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Birla Carbon and director of Aditya Birla Chemicals.

Soon after joining the party, Misra said: “I wanted to serve the people of my state. I wanted to return to the state and work for the cause of my state. The way chief minister Naveen Patnaik has taken the state to the heights of growth and has been ruling the state for the last 24 years has inspired me. I will work for the people of the state.”