Bhubaneswar: Actor Varsha Priyadarshini joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the ruling party of Odisha, on Thursday. She was inducted into the party at its headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, here in presence of Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra, almost three weeks after her ex-husband and sitting Kendrapada MP Anubhav Mohanty switched sides from BJD to BJP.
Stating that Varsha had expressed her love and admiration for Naveen Patnaik and Biju Patnaik with her movie ‘Nimki – Nimpur Ru Naveen Niwas’ (2019), Sasmit said, “She has been working for empowerment of women, especially by creating awareness on menstrual hygiene. She had also helped women rebuild their lives during the COVID pandemic.”
The MP also spoke about how Varsha spearheaded a library movement. “Though she joined the party formally today, she has been associated with it since long,” he added.
The days preceding Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha, however, have seen many popular Odia film stars, who transitioned to politics with BJD over the last two decades, switching sides to BJP. Besides Anubhav, Siddhant Mohaptra, a two-time MP from Berhampur, former Korei MLA Akash Dasnayak and Arindam Ray, who is also the brother-in-law of BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, are now in the saffron camp. Siddhant and Akash have also been rewarded with tickets for Digapahandi and Korei Assembly polls.
Speculation is rife that the BJP might also field Anubhav and Arindam from assembly segments under Cuttack parliamentary constituency. The BJD roping in Varsha has further fuelled discussions about a possible electoral battle between Anubhav and Varsha after their years-long legal battle. Earlier this year the two got divorced following a court order.
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