New Delhi: Biramitrapur MLA George Tirkey and Mahanadi Bachao Andolan (MBA) convener Sudarshan Das along with others joined the Congress in presence of party president Rahul Gandhi and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Niranjan Patnaik here Wednesday.
Other then Tirkey and Sudarshan Das, Lalit Mohan Patnaik, Vijay Pradhan, Manoj Jena and Nirad Baran Khuntia, all leaders of MBA, joined the Congress.
Tirkey alleged that both BJP and BJD are corrupt parties. “I will contest against the BJP and the BJD and work hard to bring Congress back in power in the state,” Tirkey said.
Speaking on his decision to join Congress, Sudarshan Das said, “Mahanadi issue is a political agenda of the parties in the states who are in conflict with each other. A solution to the river water dispute does not only lie in the ambit of legal framework, there is a need for mutual discourse, understanding and agreement between states. I feel that if the Congress comes to power in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which is likely, the dispute can be resolved easily.”
Welcoming the entrants, OPCC president said that their inclusion would strengthen the Congress in the state.
“Tirkey is a senior tribal leader from Odisha. I believe with him thousands of tribals from Odisha joined the Congress. With the joining of Tirkey and Sudarshan babu the party has been strengthened. I welcome them and congratulate them. I urge all the people who want the welfare of the state to come together. We will fight together. You can’t develop Odisha if you want to be with Modi,” Niranjan Patnaik said.
He said he also talked to Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and asked him to join the Congress for the development of the state. The Congress will soon hold the meeting of the screening committee for Odisha in Bhubaneswar for the selection of candidates.