Bhubaneswar, April 23 -- In a major setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), over 8,000 workers quit the ruling party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Khallikote Assembly constituency in Ganjam on Monday.

The BJP held a merger ceremony attended by the party's Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar, senior party leader Samir Mohanty, Aska Lok Sabha candidate Anita Subhadarshini and MLA candidate for Khallikote Assembly seat Purna Chandra Sethi.

As per reports, ahead of the 2024 elections, the BJP through its merger ceremony made a show of strength in the Assembly segment where the party is said to be broadening its base.

Responding to the call of samiti member of Kanchana panchayat, Chitrasen Ghose, over 8,000 BJD workers ...