Former Odisha CM Giridhar Gamang & Family To Return To Congress By August End

Bhubaneswar: Veteran tribal leader and former Odisha Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, along with his family members, is likely to return to Congress by the end of this month.

The homecoming of Gamang, his wife Hemabati and son Sishir is set to take place over six months after they joined Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Hyderabad,

According to Sishir, he met Odisha in charge of Congress A Chellakumar in New Delhi recently. Talks have already been held regarding return of Giridhar Gamang’s family members to Congress.

Sishir said he is also likely to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to further expedite their return to Congress. “Hopefully, by the end of this month we are going to return to the Congress fold. Our entire family will be back in Congress,” he said.

Sishir his family members decided to return to Congress in view of several positive developments in the party. While Rahul Gandhi’s padyatra had a very good impact on the people who consider him as a dynamic leader, Congress has also transformed itself into a much more progressive party, Sishir said.

If everything moves as per plan, the joining ceremony may be held later by this month end in New Delhi in the presence of senior Congress leaders.

It may be recalled that the Gamang family had joined BRS at Hyderabad in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on January 27 after quitting BJP. However, with the BRS undecided over its electoral plans in Odisha, they have now decided to be back in Congress. BRS is also yet to launch the membership drive in Odisha and announce state office bearers.

Also a former Union Minister, Giridhar Gamang had last contested from the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency in the 2014 elections as a Congress candidate and lost to Jhina Hikaka of the BJD. A nine-time MP from the seat between 1972 and 2004, he had quit Congress in 2015 and joined BJP along with his son.

Both Giridhar Gamang and his son resigned from the primary membership of the BJP on January 25 and joined the BRS two days later.