BJP-supported Sarpanches of Padhuan and Jagannathpur gram panchayats under Bhadrak district’s Basudevpur block along with more than 70 workers joined the ruling BJD on Thursday.
They came under leadership of Forests and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray and joined the BJD here in the presence of party supreme and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Pattnaik said the joining of new members would strengthen the party in Basudevpur block.
Among those who joined BJD includes BJP district Krushak Morcha VP Pravat Biswal, Jaganathapur Sarpanch Jadunath Nayak, Padhuan Sarpanch Dinabandhu Das, former Sarpanch Prabhakar Dash, Kusumpur former Sarpanch Sanatan Tarai, Srikant Chandra Sahu, Srikant Sahu, Subash Pani and Trilochan Dey.