Bhubaneswar: Former Laxmipur MLA Kailash Kulesika today joined the BJP ahead of the twin elections in Odisha.

His decision came a day after the BJD re-nominated sitting MLA Prabhu Jani from the Laxmipur seat.

Kulesika, who had joined the BJD in 2021, was expecting a ticket from the regional party for contesting the assembly polls from the constituency.

"I had joined the BJD as the party had promised me to give ticket from Laxmipur. The people of the state will give a befitting reply to the BJD as the party has betrayed me," the ex-legislator said.

He had unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections from Laxmipur as an independent candidate in 2009. However, he emerged victorious in the 2014 polls by contesting as a Congress candidate from the seat.

In 2019 elections, he lost to BJD’s Prabhu Jani by a narrow margin of mere 229 votes in the constituency.