Bhubaneswar: A day after quitting the party, Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sulochana Das Tuesday joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the presence of party supremo Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas here.
“I will work as a disciplined worker and discharge the responsibilities assigned to me by the party chief,” said Das after she was inducted into the ruling party.
Patnaik who welcomed Das’s joining said that her joining will further strengthen the BJD.
BJD’s senior leader and MP Pratap Keshari Deb said the party supremo will shortly decide the organisational work to be given to Das.
Senior BJD leader and a minister Damodar Rout, who is known for his controversial remarks, said, “She used to criticise BJD terming it to be inactive and had also criticised me alleging I don’t have respect for women. However, she joined the party now as she felt that BJD is safe.”
Das’s joining in the ruling party was evident as she had met the BJD supremo before she resigned from Congress Monday. She had said that indiscipline among leaders, lack of coordination between Pradesh Congress Committee and Congress Legislature Party were the main reasons behind her resignation from the party and that she would not join any communal force.
Meanwhile, Congress Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said, “Those who were not loyal to our party are quitting. It will hardly affect Congress’ organisational strength.”
The Congress chief whip, however, also admitted that the Congress here is a divided camp and lack of organisational activities has discouraged the party workers.
Meanwhile, OPCC chief Prasad Harichandan, who also formally inducted several BJD youth leaders from Jatni into the party at Congress Bhawan this day said that Congress would continue to fight against BJD and BJP in the state and strengthen its base in the coming days.
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