Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang and ex-Koraput MP Jayram Pangi may join the Congress, a party leader said.
Congress MLA from Jeypore Taraprasad Bahinipati said that both Gamang and Pangi may join the Congress soon ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Bahinipati said that Gamang is a prominent tribal leader of the region and was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times while Pangi was a former Koraput MP.
The Jeypore MLA said that Gamang has served as the chief minister of Odisha and president of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). Though he quit the party and joined BJP, Gamng had not uttered a single word against Sonia Gandhi and the Congress high command. So, he may return to Congress soon, Bahinipati added.
Gamang along with his son Sisir recently met the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Odisha A Chellakumar in the presence of OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak and Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka.
“AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will take the final decision in this regard”, Bahinipati said.
Gamang’s son Sisir told reporters that they have already conveyed their desire to join the Congress.
Similarly, Pangi, who was elected to the Lok Sabha as a BJD candidate in 2009 and later joined BJP, has also expressed his interest to join Congress, Bahinipati said. Pangi was also elected to the state assembly four times from the Pottangi segment.
Gamang had joined K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) after resigning from BJP a few months ago. But, he decided to join Congress as the BRS has no such immediate plan for Odisha, sources close to him said.
Meanwhile, OPCC president Sarat Patnaik said that the Congress will welcome the leaders of other parties as well as those who left the party in the past.
PTI
