BHUBANESWAR: In a jolt to the Congress ahead of elections, Raj Narayan Mohapatra, secretary of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) and son of former MLA Congress MLA from the Barchana Assembly constituency Sitakanta Mohapatra on Wednesday joined BJD along with his supporters.
Sources said Raj Narayan is being considered to be fielded from the Barchana Assembly constituency in place of six-time MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy. Raj Narayan was welcomed to the BJD by Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra. Patra said the BJD organisation will be further strengthened in Barchana with the joining of Raj Narayan along with the Congress workers.
The sitting MLA from Barchana was, however, not present in the joining ceremony. Raj Narayan thanked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for accepting him in the party along with the workers. Stating that he was inspired by the chief minister’s people-centric work, Raj Narayan said he is prepared to carry out whatever assignments are given to him by the party.
Besides, senior Congress leader from Kandhamal district and state spokesperson Kailash Mukhi also quit the party and joined BJD in the presence of organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das and finance minister Bikram Keshari Arukha. Mukhi said he will work to strengthen BJD in Kandhamal district.