**Bhubaneswar**: Several Congress and Aama Odisha Party leaders along with thousands of their supporters joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal today in a ‘Mishrana Parba’ held at the party office.
Welcoming them into the party, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Mohammed Shakeel of Aama Odisha Party and Bijay Ojha along with thousands of Congress leaders and workers of Barabati, Cuttack constituency have joined the BJD today. Their joining will strengthen our party”.
Praising the Chief Minister, Mohammed Shakeel said, “His leadership and his personality has attracted thousands of people from Cuttack under the guidance of Debasish Samantaray, BJD MLA from Barabati, to join BJD”.
This move comes at a crucial time in Odisha’s political atmosphere with the 2019 elections just around the corner.