Jajpur district Dharmasala Assembly constituency’s young leader Debendra Kumar Panda joined the BJP in a function held at the BJP headquarters here on Tuesday. BJP State president Manmohan Samal inducted him to the party officially.
Debendra is the nephew of late Kangali Charan Panda, who was a tall Congress leader of the Dharmasala constituency and was the party MLA twice from there in the 1980 and 1985 elections.
Debendra started his political career as the Students’ Union president of local Upendranath Sarada College and then worked under the leadership of Kangali Panda to strengthen the Congress organisation and manage elections.
He joined the BJP being sidelined by the Congress and attracted by the BJP’s ideology and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. His induction to the BJP is expected to strengthen the BJP in the Dharmasala constituency and weaken the Congress. He is also aspiring for the BJP’s Assembly ticket for the constituency in the 2024 elections.
