After Gamangs, Former MP Jayaram Pangi Eyes ‘Political Comeback’ With Congress In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: With Bharat Rashtra Samiti’s (BRS) reportedly deciding against launching the party in Odisha, former MP Jayaram Pangi has evinced interest to join Congress ahead of the 2024 elections.

This came days after reports about former chief minister Giridhar Gamang and his son Shishir’s homecoming. The trio had joined BRS at Hyderabad in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in January this year.

Pangi told mediapersons that he was in touch with national leaders of the Congress in this regard and would take a decision soon. The former MP added that he had no intentions of returning to either BJP or BJD from which he had resigned.

Pangi 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. He, however, had to face defeat in the same constituency in the 2019 elections. Pangi was also elected to the state assembly four times from the Pottangi segment.

On Sunday, Jeypore MLA from Congress Tara Prasad Bahinipati had also hinted at some politicians joining the grand old party. “Gamang is a popular leader and nine-time Lok Sabha MP. He also served as the Chief Minister of Odisha and president of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). Even after quitting the party and joining BJP, Gamng did not utter a single word against Sonia Gandhi and the Congress high command. So, he may return to Congress soon,” he said, adding that Pangi has also expressed his interest to join the party.

“AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will take the final decision in this regard,” Bahinipati said.

Gamang resigned from the Congress in 2015, alleging humiliation by the party which he served for over 43 years. He and his family member then joined BJP, but left the saffron party for BRS about eight months ago. Gamang along with his son Shishir recently met Congress general secretary and Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar in New Delhi in the presence of OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak and Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka and held preliminary discussions about their role after returning to the party. “The re-joining is likely within this month,” he had said.

Former Koraput MLA Krushnachandra Sagaria, who had quit the party after being expelled in January 2019, is also set to return to Congress. He said he has informed the Congress national leaders in this regard and is waiting for their decision.

Meanwhile, OPCC president said that the Congress will welcome the leaders of other parties as well as those who left the party in the past.