BHUBANESWAR: Days after former chief minister Giridhar Gamang met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, former Koraput MP Jayram Pangi met the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) chief at Hyderabad on Monday.
Pangi posted about the meeting on his Facebook account. He, however, did not make it clear whether he will join BRS. The meeting of Odisha leaders with Rao has assumed significance ahead of the nationwide expansion plan of the BRS. While Gamang is reported to have been offered to head the BRS unit in Odisha, Pangi will also be given a prominent position.
However, Sisir Gamang, son of Giridhar Gamang and a BJP leader said that they are yet to take a decision in this regard. “We do not want to rush into any decision,” he said and added that joining of BRS will certainly be an option ahead of the 2024 elections. BRS is planning to make southern districts base of the party in Odisha in view of the substantial number of Telugu population in the area.
Undivided Koraput, Rayagada and Ganjam districts have majority of Telugu speaking people. Pangi, a four-time MLA from Pottangi constituency, won the Koraput Lok Sabha seat on a BJD ticket in 2009 and joined BJP in 2017. He lost to Saptagiri Ulaka of Congress in 2019 Lok Sabha election while contesting as a BJP candidate.
Later, he formed Dandakaranya Parvatmala Vikash Parishad (DPVP). His resignation from the primary membership of the BJP in April 2022 led to speculation that he might rejoin the ruling BJD.