Belaguntha: At a merger ceremony held at Congress Bhavan in Bhubaneswar, a large number of Sarpanchs, Samiti Members, former Sarpanchs, former Samiti Members, Ward Members, and BJD workers from the Sorada Assembly Constituency of Ganjam district formally joined the Congress Party.
This political shift was carried out under the supervision of Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Jena and led by Debendra Gouda, former Samiti Member of Netanga Panchayat, Belaguntha Block. Among those who joined from Netanga Panchayat were:
Suprabha Gouda (Sarpanch)
Rajeev Lochan Naik (Samiti Member)
Nikunja Khandual (Former MP Representative)
Sanatan Mahanti (Naib Sarpanch)
Akshaya Kumar Gouda (Senior Youth Leader)
Dhabaleswar Behera, Ganesh Gouda, Bijaya Nayak, Ranju Lenka, Prafulla Lenka, Rajendra Patra, Brundaban Gouda, and Dillip Prasad Jena, along with hundreds of BJD workers.
The event was attended by senior Congress leaders including:
PCC President Bhakta Das
Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Jena
Sorada Assembly Candidate Harikrishna Rath
Ganjam District (West) Coordinator Debakanta Sharma
District Observer Bijay Kumar Pradhan
MLA Dasharathi Gomango
Additionally, under the leadership of Sorada Assembly Candidate Harikrishna Rath, members from Goudagocha Panchayat of Sorada Block also joined Congress, including:
Saroj Mallik (Sarpanch)
Kameshwar Mallik (Samiti Member)
Kamadas Sabar (Naib Sarpanch)
Shyam Mallik (Former Naib Sarpanch)
Balakrishna Mallik (Samiti Member of Badagocha)
Along with Dillip Ranasantha, Niranjan Nayak, Bhanumali Mallik, Ward Council Member Anangabada Seth, Jitendra Kumar, Aravinda Mallik, Taniel Nayak, and Purna Sabar, all of whom resigned from BJD and joined Congress.
All the new joiners were welcomed into the Congress Party by PCC President Bhakta Das and Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Jena, who draped them with party scarves as a symbol of their formal induction.