Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi embarked on a two-day visit to Jharkhand on Monday.
A prominent tribal leader belonging to Santhal community in Keonjhar, he is expected to attend the ‘Parivartan Yatra’ of the BJP in the neighbouring state, which is likely to go to polls later this year.
After reaching Ranchi, he will proceed to Jagannathpur in West Singhbhum district by helicopter. He will attend the BJP’s ‘Parivartan’ rally in Kolhan and address a public rally at Majhagaon School ground at 3 pm. He will then proceed to Chaibasa Circuit House at 5 pm and spend the night there.
The Odisha CM will address a public meeting in Chaibasa on Tuesday and then leave for Bhubaneswar from Ranchi at 4 pm, sources said.
This trip followed a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also BJP’s co-in-charge of elections in Jharkhand, at Raj Bhawan in the presence of Odisha Governor Raghubar Das on September 27.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, a tribal leader and Sundargarh MP, had attended several programmes in Jharkhand on September 28.
Jharkhand shares borders with Odisha’s Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.
The saffron party, which is optimistic about wresting Jharkhand in the upcoming polls, has roped in several party leaders, MLAs and MPs of Odisha for the election campaign there. Lakhs of Odia-speaking people also live in Jharkhand and the visit of Odia leaders could influence voters in the state, a party leader said here.