Sumitra Jena gets into BJD fold, Rabi Pani joins BJP

Bhubaneswar: Hours after alleging irregularities in ticket distribution and quitting Congress as Mahila Pradesh Congress president, Sumita Jena joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) late on Tuesday. Jena joined BJD in presence of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and other leaders.

Earlier, Jena has levelled serious allegations against party leadership of fielding candidates to help ruling BJD win the upcoming elections. At a presser, Jena alleged that," Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik, Jena selectively allotted tickets to candidates who made his pockets fatter."

Though Jena had recommended names of 52 women candidates for the upcoming elections, most of them were not given due importance during the ticket allotment process.

In another development, former Pallahara MLA Rabi Pani joined BJP along with his supporters at party headquarters in Bhubaneswar. Expressing displeasure over ticket distribution and state of affairs in BJD, Pani had quit the party on April 7.