BHUBANESWAR: Veteran tribal leader and former chief minister Giridhar Gamang and two of his family members along with former Bargarh MP Sanjay Bhoi joined Congress in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The four leaders including Gamang, his wife and former Koraput MP Hema Gamang, their son Sishir Gamang and Bhoi returned to the grand old party in the presence of treasurer of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Ajay Maken and Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar. Welcoming the four leaders to the party, Maken said they have made significant contribution to the development of Odisha and its people.
The party will be further strengthened with the Gamang family and the former Bargarh MP rejoining the party. The Odisha in-charge said, “Today is very significant for Congress as four popular leaders have joined the party.”
Gamang said Congress is the only political party in the country which does politics based on ideology. “The party gave me ticket 11 times which no other political party can do,” he said adding, Congress respects its leaders which no other political party does. Stating the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra started by former president Rahul Gandhi is not political, Gamang said his fight for social, political and financial justice for people will continue.
A nine-time MP from Koraput Lok Sabha constituency between 1972 and 2004, Giridhar Gamang had last contested from the seat in the 2014 elections and lost to Jhina Hikaka of the BJD. Sanjay, son of late Congress leader Krupasindhu Bhoi, had won from Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket in the 2009 elections. Despite polling over 2.74 lakh votes, he finished third behind BJD and BJP candidates in 2014. He quit the Congress and joined the BJP after being denied a ticket for the 2019 elections.