TMC Odisha president join Cong with party workers in Odisha

The Odisha unit president of Trinamool Congress, its executive and active members joined the Congress here today along with a number of leaders and workers from diffrent political parties, a senior Congress leader said.

Most of the leaders who joined the Congress during its 'Misran Parva' during the day, had quit the party earlier, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said.

State Trinamool Congress president Arya Kumar Gyanendra, 22 executive members of the party and around 250 aof its active members joined the Congress, he said.

The others who joined Congress include senior ruling BJD leaders Saraswati Hembram and Ashok Samal, besides 12 sarpanches of the party from Dhenkanal district and five sarpanches of the opposition BJP from Raygada, Patnaik added.

The switch-over to Congress has boosted the party's morale in the state, where state assembly poll are due next year along with the general election.

Congress has only 16 members in the 147-member house.

Jitendra Singh, AICC general secretary and Odisha in-charge speaking on it said, "Now the people have begun to have faith on the ideology of Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi. The people of Odisha have also accepted and appreciate the leadership of Niranjan Patnaik.