Within a month’s time, the ruling BJD got another shock here as four of its sitting municipal councillors joined the BJP on Wednesday in the presence of senior BJP leader Dilip Ray and other local party leaders.
Those who joined the BJP are Rourkela Municipality Ward-1 BJD councillor Ramesh Mundari, Ward-9 councillor Deepak John Bage, Ward-12 councillor P lokeswari and Ward-14 councillor Ashok Mahato.
However Rourkela BJD president Ananda Mohanty said there would be no adverse impact on the ruling party here with the four councillors switching over to the BJP.
Earlier in August, BJD councillor Samarpriya Tanty and student wing president Anil Sagar had joined the BJP. On September 9, another sitting councillor, Basanti Badajena, and former Municipality Chairman Kalandi Badajena had also joined the BJP.
Now in the 33-ward Rourkela Municipality, the BJD’s strength is slashed to 15 and the BJP’s strength is up to 13. Though the BJD has become minority in the council, it would have no impact as the council’s present tenure ends on September 30. But the BJD’s position is likely to be affected in coming elections.
Very soon, more BJD councillors and other local leaders of the party would be joining the BJP, revealed sources.In another development, former Rourkela Urban Bank President Aditya Mohapatra, who had resigned from the BJP a year back because of his differences with former local party MP Jual Oram, rejoined the saffron party on Wednesday.