Former MLAs Dolagobinda Nayak, Utkal Keshari Parida join BJP

Kendrapada: Former MLAs Dolagobinda Nayak and Utkal Keshari Parida along with their supporters joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at ‘Mishrana Parva’ organised by the party at Ichhapur in Kendrapada on Sunday.
While Nayak had won the Aul seat on a Congress ticket, Parida was a member of Orissa Gana Parishad and represented Kendrapada.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was present on the occasion, said the new joinees will strengthen the party in days to come.
However, BJP’s district president Sukant Dwibedi skipped the event over senior party leader Bijoy Mahapatra not being invited or consulted ahead of the event.
Earlier in the day, police detained 11 activists of the students’ wing of Congress for waving black flags at the Union minister’s cavalcade at Tinimuhan Square in the district. Besides, a group of miscreants burnt posters, hoardings and banners of the saffron party near the old bus stand and other places. A complaint was lodged at the Town police station in this connection by the party.