Bhubaneswar: In a major blow to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Bhadrak district, three members of senior party leader Prafulla Samal’s family, including his two sons, today joined the ruling BJP in Odisha.

Samal’s sons—Prayaskanti and Pranitkanti—and his sister Urmila Nayak joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at its state headquarters here.

BJP Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal and other senior leaders of the party were present on the occasion.

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Prayaskanti, a former chairperson of Bhadrak municipality and a state secretary of BJD, had resigned from the Naveen Patnaik-led party in May this year.

Similarly, Urmila Nayak, the chairperson of Bhadrak Sadar block (Panchayat Samiti), along with the chairpersons of three other blocks resigned from BJD a few days ago.

Many Sarpanches and Panchayat Samiti members also joined the ruling party 

Besides, at least 30 Sarpanches and 35 Panchayat Samiti members in Bhadrak district also joined the BJP today.

It is worth mentioning here that Prafulla Samal had been elected to the Odisha Assembly from Bhadrak and Bhandaripokhari constituencies six times on Janata Dal and BJD tickets in the past. He had also served as a minister in the state.  

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The BJD supremo had appointed Prafulla Samal as the state president of Biju Shramika Samukhya, the workers’ front of the party, in December last year. The former minister was also appointed as a senior vice president of BJD some days ago.

The veteran leader had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls from Bhadrak constituency last year.