Virtually, the entire Congress party came to the fold of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday when, as announced earlier, former Union Minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu, 11 BeMC corporators and other leaders, who had quit the Congress recently two days back, joined the ruling party with thousands of their supporters at a meeting held in the presence of party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Khallikote College stadium here on Wednesday.
Others who joined the meeting include former PCC secretary Bikram Panda; former DCC president Dr Bhagaban Gantayat and Congress youth leader Tumbanath Panda. They all came in an impressive procession to the meeting venue with thousands of supporters.
Welcoming to the leaders, the Chief Minister said joining of the senior leaders and Corporators would further strengthen the BJD and the party would perform far better in the upcoming 2019 General Elections.
All the three leaders received membership receipt from Patnaik on the dais.
In his brief address, Sahu urged upon his supporters to join hands with Naveen Patnaik for further development of the State.
“In the development process, soil (mati) is more important than the party” Sahu pointed out.
Earlier to this Mishran Parva, Patnaik had inaugurated a number of projects in the district on the day.
He laid foundation stones for a number of projects and inaugurated as a many as 62 projects at Hinjili. He laid foundation stones for a new bus stand, market complex, Community Health Centre (CHC), indoor stadium, new municipality office and skill development centre and a recreation centre for senior citizens.
He also inaugurated newly-built Policemen Barrack at Hinjilicut, new buildings of Polasara and Buguda Police Station. He also distributed benefits under Nirman Shramika Kalyana Yojana to the beneficiaries. Then he left Hinjili for Brahampur and inaugurated new Amrut Park at BRIT Colony, two median street light projects, Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) e-Suvidha Web Portal and APP. Here, he too laid foundation stones for four Kalyan Mandaps of BeMC, five box culverts over Babana Nala and Sapua Nala, 163-bedded Ward, 10 bedded ICU, Trauma Care Unit and administrative office of City Hospital and special cabin of MKCG Medical College and Hospital.