Bhubaneswar: In a significant political development ahead of key Congress leaders’ visit to Odisha, Sunita Biswal, daughter of former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal, formally joined the Congress party.

She was inducted into the party at Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das and other senior leaders.

Sunita had resigned from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday before making her switch to the Congress.

Explaining her decision, she said, “I did not get adequate opportunities in the BJD to serve the people. The party’s promises of empowering women were hollow. Leaders like Arati Devi and Linkan Subudhi also left the party for similar reasons.”

She further stated, “The BJD treated me like a stepchild. I am speaking openly, but many within the party are not even allowed to voice their opinions. I still admire Naveen Patnaik; he believed in me and brought me into the BJD. Even recently, I wished him a speedy recovery. But today, I’ve returned to my real political family—the Congress. Though I had drifted away, I believe there’s now a meaningful opportunity for me in Sundargarh.”

With the party gearing up to welcome Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal to Bhubaneswar for a mega public rally at Baramunda Ground on July 11 (Friday), Sunita Biswal's move sends a strong message about the Congress’s growing momentum in Odisha.