Bhubaneswar: September 04: After a gap of five years, Ex-MLA of Lanjigarh Shivaji Majhi returned to Congress today. Majhi and his party colleague and Rajgangpur MLA Gregory Minz had abstained from voting during the last Rajya Sabha polls in 2010 flouting the party whip. For which, BJD’s fourth candidate Baishnab Parida won the election. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee had suspended Majhi on June 14,2011 as an audio tape claimed that two ministers of Naveen Patnaik Ministry had negotiated with Majhi to refrain from voting. Further Majhi joined on BJP on March 2015 after he was not given ticket to contest the Assembly election. Majhi said, ‘For not getting ticket to contest Assembly election, I had left Congress and joined BJP. But, later realising the attitude of BJP towards dalits and tribals, I decided to come back to Congress.’
Also, former MP MP Nakula Nayak joined the Congress today. Nayak had started his political career with BJD. But for not getting ticket to contest the assembly election, he joined Samajwadi Party and got elected to Lok Sabha from Kandhamal in 2009. Later, in 2014, he lost to BJD candidate Pratyusha Rajeswari in the Lok Sabha election.
Congress state wing under PCC President Prasad Harichandan welcome the two political leaders into the party. Both Sivaji Majhi and Nakula Nayal’s joining to Party will strengthen the party in Kalahandi and Kandhamal district respectively, said Harichandan. PCC President further said, the two leaders have joined following the decision of All India Congress Committee(AICC).
