Bhubaneswar: It is time for star war in Odisha as the BJD and the BJP are gearing up to deploy cine stars-turned-politicians in their bid to wrest the Bijepur Assembly seat from the Congress.

As campaigning in the bypoll-bound west Odisha constituency picked up on Monday, the BJP inducted Odia actress Mahashewta Ray into its ranks hoping that she would add to its star power.

Ray, an acclaimed artiste who had acted in more than 80 films in various languages, joined the BJP on Monday in the presence of Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan and others at the BJP headquarters here.

The actress said she "had joined the party inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

Pradhan welcomed Ray recalling her contribution to cinema and hoped that her entry would make the party stronger. Cine stars Anu Choudhary, Mihir Das, Pinki Pradhan and Sritam Das, who had joined the party earlier, were also present on the occasion.

There is a close competition between the BJP and the BJD in enlisting star support. While the BJD has among its ranks popular actors - such as Anubhav Mohanty, Siddhant Mohapatra, Akash Das Nayak and Arindam Ray - the BJP is relying on the mass appeal of the likes of Mihir and Anu Choudhary.

"Ray will be an asset as she is well known not only in Odisha but even beyond its boundaries," said a BJP leader.

The Bijepur bypoll will be the first real test of the mass appeal of these film stars taking the political plunge. For the BJD, actor-turned-politician Akash Das Nayak, who also is the party MLA from Korei, on Monday campaigned extensively at Bijepur.

Anubhav and Arindam will also hit the campaign trail in Bijepur shortly on behalf of the BJD. Cine stars loyal to the BJP may also go to Bijepur soon to campaign for party candidate Ashok Panigrahy.