Veteran actor Aparajita Mohanty joins BJP

Veteran Odia actor Aparajita Mohanty today joined the BJP in the presence of the party's senior leaders, including Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

She quit the Congress earlier this month.

"I joined the BJP as I was influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ideals," Mohanty said.


The veteran actor left for bypoll-bound Bijepur assembly constituency later in the day.

Mohanty had unsuccessfully contested from Cuttack Lok Sabha seat as a Congress candidate in the 2014 general elections.

Her entry into the BJP comes a week after another popular Odia actor, Mahasweta Ray, joined the saffron party.

Two other eminent film actors, Anu Choudhury and Mihir Das, had joined the saffron brigade in January.