Former Odisha DGP Prakash Mishra joins BJP

Surjit kumar Dhal, Bhubaneswar, March 24: Former Odisha DGP Prakash Mishra on Sunday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Mishra joined the saffron party in presence of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, senior party leader Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, partymen Sameer Dey and Damodar Rout at party’s State headquarters in Bhubaneswar.

The speculations are on rife that BJP will field Mishra as its candidate from Cuttack for Lok Sabha elections to give a tough fight against Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The former IPS officer had served the State government as the DGP for two years from July 6, 2012 to 2014. Mishra was abruptly removed as Odisha DGP in July 2014 and was slapped with a vigilance case in September that year. Later, the Supreme Court had quashed the case against Mishra in August 2017.

Later, he was posted as the Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry. The Centre appointed him as the DG of CRPF on December 22, 2014.