TNI Bureau: In a major development in Odisha politics, former IRS officer Sambit Tripathy along with several others joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party today.

Apart from Sambit Tripathy, former BJD Koraput MLA candidate Raghuram Machha, BJD leader Himashu Mohapatra of Jeypore and Durga Devi of Rajkanika royal family joined the saffron party at the State Headquarter office in the presence of Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal.

Many of the their supporters also joined BJP. It can be noted that Sambit Tripathy has been a close associate of Dharmendra Pradhan and is an aspirant from Badamba-Narasinghpur assembly seat.

While addressing the gathering, they said that the developmental works and ideology of the the Narendra Modi led government have impressed them to join the BJP.

While welcoming everyone to the party fold, Samal hoped that the joining of the former IRS officer and others will boost the party and they will play a major role in the party in the coming days.