Arup Patnaik, who joined the Biju Janata Dal today, is the second former Mumbai police commissioner to join politics.
Satyapal Singh, who quit as Mumbai police chief in 2014 to contest the Lok Sabha election, was the first.
Interestingly, Singh had succeeded Patnaik as Mumbai police commissioner in August 2012, after the former, facing flak for his handling of the Azad Maidan riots in the same month, was shunted out.
Several policemen were injured in the violence.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, during a rally in Mumbai, had demanded ouster of Patnaik over the violence at Azad Maidan, for allegedly failing to control the situation during a protest against "persecution" of Muslims in Assam and Myanmar.
Patnaik, who was appointed Mumbai police chief in 2011, was also in line of fire by the Opposition for handling of the Azad Maidan situation.
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Patnaik, a 1979 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, retired in 2015 after 36 years' service, as Director General of Maharashtra State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation.
Patnaik, who hails from Odisha, joined BJD in presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"It is my privilege that I am getting an opportunity to serve the people from Odisha," Patnaik told PTI.
"I have worked for the common man as a police officer. Now I will serve them through BJD," said Patnaik, who is credited with checking crime in Latur as the district SP during 1983-86.
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