Former Congress MP from Odisha Pradeep Majhi, who had recently resigned from the party, on Sunday announced that he will join the ruling BJD, along with his supporters.
Considering the current situation in the grand old party, there is "no scope" for working for the people, he said.
"Along with my supporters, I will join the BJD led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has a vision for the all-round development of the Koraput region," he told reporters.
The tribal leader, who was the working president of the state unit before he quit the party on October 22, said the Congress'' support base has "deteriorated significantly", and it will not come to power in Odisha in the near future.
The former Nabarangpur MP said he decided to switch over to the BJD as he wanted to work more for the people of backward districts of south Odisha. He is likely to join the ruling party on October 28, sources said.
He had lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019 as a Congress candidate.
Mr Majhi became the third leader to have deserted the Congress in recent times. Party's former Laxmipur MLA Kailash Kulesika and its ex-legislator from Kotpad Chandrasekhar Majhi had recently switched to the BJD.
His father Bhagaban Majhi was a supporter of Biju Patnaik and became a Rajya Sabha MP from the erstwhile Janata Dal. His grandfather Nilamber Majhi worked as a member of the Swatantra Party.
During the press conference, a large number of Majhi's supporters and several local leaders of the Congress from seven assembly segments - Malkangiri, Chitrokonda, Kotpad, Nabarangpur, Dabugam, Jharigam and Umerkote - resigned from the party.
'No Power Deals With Adani Group': BJD, DMK Reject US Charge BJP vs Congress On US Government Department Move Against Adani Group Manipur Congress Asks Party Chief To Take Action Against P Chidambaram Over "Regional Autonomy" Post "Thousand Times Better...": Delhi Lt Governor's Surprise For AAP's Atishi 2 Children Strangled To Death In Bengaluru, Parents Blame Each Other: Cops "World War 3 Has Begun": Ukraine Ex-Military Commander Amid Russia Conflict 25 Charged Over Attacking Civic Officials For Removing Encroachment: Police Bastar Will Be Maoist-Free Very Soon, Says Chhattisgarh Minister Arun Sao Petrol Pump Owner, Son Shot At Over Bill In UP's Kaushambi: Police Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.