Bhubaneswar: The Muniguda panchayat samiti chairperson of the BJP on Wednesday joined the Congress with several of his followers, including eight sarpanchs of tribal-dominated Rayagada district.

This was the first "mishrana parv" (joining event) of the Congress in this year. So far, there has only been exodus from the Congress to the BJD and the BJP in the recent past.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan, who welcomed Muniguda panchayat samiti chairperson Sridhar Garada and his followers at the state Congress headquarters on Wednesdayday, said the joining of these leaders would strengthen the party base further in the district.

Rayagada District Congress Committee president Durga Prasad Panda said a big ceremony would shortly be held in the district where hundreds of people from other parties would join the Congress.

Garada said: "I was disillusioned with the propaganda of Narendra Modi and his party and was inspired by the ideology of the Congress and the leadership of Rahul ji."

BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty alleged that there was a nexus between the BJD and Congress.

"As chief minister and the BJD president Naveen Patnaik is feeling insecure on BJP's rising popularity in Odisha, OPCC president Prasad Harichandan has come forward to help him. But the exit of these people will not have any impact on the prospects of the BJP in the coming elections," he said.

The development comes as a boost for the state Congress which had been demoralised following the results of the last panchayat elections when it was placed third behind the BJP.