Bhubaneswar, Jan 16: In a major political development, former MP Rita Tarai, Jajpur Zilla Parishad chairperson Nalini Prabha Jena, Barchana Zilla Parishad vice-chairperson Ganeshwar Baral, along with several grassroots leaders, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha on Friday.

The Misrana Parba (joining ceremony), held at the party’s state headquarters in Bhubaneswar in the presence of State BJP president Manmohan Samal and several senior party leaders, marking a significant boost to the BJP’s organisational strength in the state.

Samal welcomed the new members with party symbols and said the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has been working to accelerate development and resolve Odisha’s fundamental issues. He noted that the party’s governance model has strengthened public trust and inspired leaders across the state to join.

The joining saw a large number of representatives from Jajpur district, including 16 Zilla Parishad members from Barchana, Dharmasala, Korei, Bari, Sukinda, and other blocks. Leaders from multiple gram panchayats such as Jenapur, Gadmadhapur, Sampar, Moolapal, and Taranjia also entered the BJP fold, signalling a shift in local political alignments.

Similarly, more than 40 grassroots leaders and community representatives from Bhadrak district including Babulu Mahalik, SK Niyamad and Sarat Chandra Raut joined the saffron party, underscoring the BJP’s growing influence in coastal Odisha.

Also Read: BJP National Working President Nitin Nabin To Visit Odisha Soon

Senior leaders including MPs Rabinarayan Behera and Balabhadra Majhi, MLAs Amar Kumar Nayak, Himanshu Shekhar Sahu, and Akash Das Nayak, along with state office bearers, were present at the ceremony. They described the mass joining as a reflection of people’s confidence in the BJP’s “double engine” model of governance.

Party officials said the induction would strengthen the organisation in Jajpur and Bhadrak, enabling the BJP to expand its outreach and intensify developmental initiatives in the region.