Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is continuing its spree to rope in former bureaucrats and intellectuals to the party in an attempt to boost the party and the government's image.

The latest entrant to the list is former principal accountant general Amar Patnaik. He formally joined the party on Wednesday by offering Naveen his favourite white lily flower at Naveen Nivas.

Naveen immediately appointed him as the head of the party's IT cell.

Welcoming him to the party, Naveen said: "Amar Patnaik has a very rich experience of working in many states and his joining will definitely strengthen the party. He will head the IT wing of the BJD."

Amar said: "I do have the belief and confidence in Naveen babu's strong leadership. When I was the principal accountant general, I always continued to praise and admire him. If there is anyone who can propel Odisha to the No. 1 position, it is none other than Naveen. I have never seen a chief minister like him. It's a leap of faith, conviction and confidence in the strong and able leadership of Naveen babu that motivated me to join the BJD. I had a strong association with the late Biju Patnaik. I had also a wish to work for the cause of the state. All these factors inspired me to join the party."

Following his joining, speculation has become rife that the BJD may field him in the upcoming general elections. However, the Opposition - BJP and Congress - said it was nothing but a "clever ploy of the Naveen government to hide its corruption".

"As he had earlier worked with the state's accountant general, he had an idea of the corruption that the government had indulged in. The BJD has roped him into the party to hide all these issues," said BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty.

Earlier, former Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik and former director of All India Radio Giridhar Mohanty had joined the party.