In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strengthened its organisational base in Cuttack as several grassroots leaders switched allegiance.
District Council Member Pradipta Mahali from the Cuttack Sadar Assembly constituency formally joined the BJP on Friday. He was accompanied by more than 10 sarpanches and hundreds of workers from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The induction ceremony was held at the BJP state headquarters in Bhubaneswar in the presence of state president Manmohan Samal, Cuttack Sadar MLA Prakash Sethi, and other senior party leaders.
Addressing party workers, Samal said the mass joining would significantly strengthen the BJP’s grassroots network in Cuttack and enhance its prospects in the forthcoming panchayat polls.
MLA Prakash Sethi claimed that a majority of sarpanches in the region were now aligning with the BJP. He asserted that the party would focus on effectively implementing government schemes at the grassroots level and addressing public grievances. He expressed confidence that the BJP would win all Zilla Parishad seats and sarpanch posts in the next elections.
Explaining his decision to switch parties, Mahali stated that he was inspired by the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. He said that under the present government, people’s grievances were being heard more directly, which motivated him to join the BJP.
