Congress leader Lulu Mohapatra's family members join BJP

Bhubaneswar: The daughter and brother of late Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra on Saturday formally joined the BJP in presence of senior leaders of the saffron party.

Apart from his daughter Upasana and brother Lalitendu, members of Mohapatra's outfit 'Lulu Sena' also became a part of the BJP in presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and party state president Basant Panda at a function here.

Senior lawyer Pitambar Acharya, former Youth Congress leader Satyajit Mohanty and Congress block president of Brahmagiri also joined the BJP, the saffron party's state vice-president Samir Mohanty said.

Mohapatra, who was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Brahmagiri in the years 1995, 2000 and 2004, had died at a private hospital in Gurgaon in November last year.

He was also president of both the students and youth wing of Congress in Odisha.

On September 23, family members of late Congress MLA Subal Sahu of Bijepur Assembly segment had joined the ruling BJD.