Bhubaneswar, Aug 14: After the family of former chief minister Giridhar Gamang, ex- Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi and former Koraput MLA Krushnachandra Sagaria are also all set to join Congress.
I am in touch with national leaders of the Congress and will take a decision in this regard soon, Pangi told media persons.
Pangi had joined the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) at Hyderabad in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao along with members of the Gamang family in January this year.
According to political sources, Pangi took the decision to join Congress as BRS has decided not to launch its state unit in Odisha.
The former MP, however, said he will not return to BJD or BJP from which he had resigned. He had won from the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency on a BJD ticket in 2009. However, he resigned from BJD and joined BJP on May 9, 2017. Pangi unsuccessfully contested the Koraput Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 elections.
“I am from the Congress family. My political mentor is the late Biju Patnaik who had started his political career in the Congress. I joined politics being influenced by Biju Babu and joined Janata Dal against my father’s wish,” said Pangi.
“I will not return to BJD as it has turned PJD ( Pandian Janata Dal),” he mocked.
Besides, expelled former Koraput MLA Krushnachandra Sagaria who had quit the party is also in talks with national-level Congress leaders to return to the party.
“I have informed the Congress national leaders in this regard and am waiting for their decision,” said Sagaria. He was expelled from the Congress in January 2019.
