Former BJD lakhanpur block chairman Goutam Pradhan joined the Congress along with his 97 followers in a Press meet here.
Jharsuguda MlA Naba Kishore Das and former Speaker of Odisha Assembly Kishore Chandra Patel were present.
On joining the Congress, Pradhan said although former Congress MlA of Brajrajnagar Anup Sai had been defeated in the Assembly election after joining BJD, but he has been appointed Chairman of lift Irrigation Corporation. This is somewhat humiliating for a senior party leader like me, Pradhan said. Moreover, the one man centric leadership of BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Pattanaik is not creating proper atmosphere for political work in his domain area of lakhanpur block,
said Pradhan.
The Nutan Nirman of Jharsuguda Assembly constituency by local MlA Das motivated him to join Congress, Pradhan asserted.
Welcoming Pradhan and his followers to Congress, MlA Das said Congress would benefit a lot with Pradhan’s joining.
It’s noteworthy that Pradhan has been active in politics of lakhanpur block since 1988.
He was Sarpanch of Pandari Panchayat,Samiti member of Kushraloi in 1997,Zilla Parishad member in 2002 and block Chairman of lakhanpur block in 2007. Previously another senior leader Dr Hamid Hussain who had contested Bargarh lok sabha seat from BJD ticket had joined Congress.