Shiv Sena western Odisha chief (Pramukh) Harish Chandra Panda (Titu) joined the BJP on Wednesday with hundreds of his supporters. Prominent tribal leader and Shiv Sena Nuapada district president Drusti Majhi also joined the BJP.
A public meeting was held at Nuapada, where BJP State president Basant Panda, Nuapada district president Sibaprasad Mund, Krushak Morcha district president Sanjay Tiwari, Yuva Morcha president Goldy Agrawal and other leaders were present. "It was like a homecoming; Titu was an active member of BJP in the past; now, he has returned to BJP," said Sanjay Tiwari. The Shiv Sena had fielded a number of candidates in different ZP zones of Nuapada district in the last panchayat elections. Although it did not get a single seat, it was thought to have divided the BJP’s vote share, which was one of the main reasons of the BJP's debacle in