Bhubaneswar, Mar 30: In a major setback to Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the general elections, its senior leader and former Chitrakonda MLA Dambaru Sisa joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.

Sisa along with his supporters joined the BJP at a "Misrana Parba'' (Joining ceremony) at the party's State headquarters here in the presence of BJP Odisha unit president, Manmohan Samal, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi and other senior leaders.

Samal welcomed Sisa to the BJP and said the former MLA would strengthen the saffron party in Malkangiri district.

Sisa, a Bonda Tribal leader, had resigned from the primary membership of the BJD on Thursday.

Sisa was elected to Odisha Assembly from Chitrakonda constituency in Malkangiri district in 2014 on a BJD ticket.

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Recently, several BJD leaders including sitting MPs and MLAs quit the BJD and joined the saffron party.

Odisha will vote in the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls, which are being held simultaneously, in four phases. The polling will be held on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1.

The votes will be counted with the rest of the country on June 4.

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