Dr Aryakumar Jnanendra, who had quit as the State president of the Trinamool Congress recently, and many other senior leaders rejoined the Congress on Wednesday.
PCC president Niranjan Patnaik and party Odisha-in-charge Jitendra Singh, joint Odisha-in-charges Rudra Raju and Aditya Sharma and senior party leaders Anant Sethi, Dolagobinda Pradhan, Pradeep Majhi and Chirnajib Biswal were present.
Others who joined the Congress included former TMC MP candidate Dr Kartikeswar Patra, former Minister Haladhar Karji, former PCC spokesperson Ashok Samal, TMC secretary Bibekananda Patra and former Minister Saraswati Hembram.
Besides, Baleswar’s independent MP candidate Basantalata Patnaik, 12 former Sarapanches belonging to the BJP and the BJD of Rayagada and over a hundred workers of the two parties of Dhenkanal district joined the party.
All former Congress leaders came in procession from Jnanendra’s residence ‘Aryabhawan’ through Rupali Square, Ram Mandir Chhak and Shriya Chhak and reached the Congress Bhawan.
After welcoming the leaders, PCC chief Patnaik too informed that many senior leaders belonging to the BJD and the BJP would soon join the Congress.
Party in-charge Singh said the Congress would now be further strengthened with the return of its senior leaders.
The joining of workers of the other two parties, the BJD and the BJP, would strengthen the Congress at the grassroots level.