Pyari Mohapatra’s daughter Sikta Joins Odisha Congress

Bhubaneswar: Sikta Pati, the eldest daughter of former Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra joined the Congress party in Bhubaneswar today.

On its Twitter page, the Odisha Congress wrote, “With her (Sikta’s) strong leadership skills and unwavering commitment to social justice, Dr Pati is a valuable addition to the party. Welcome aboard! @SaratPatINC.”

Her father, who was a bureaucrat turned politician, had played a key role in the establishment of the BJD. Pyarimohan Mohapatra was said to be the chief advisor of the BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik from 2000 to 2012.

In the past, Sikta was the general secretary of Odisha Janmorcha (OJM), a party formed by her father. In 2019, she joined the BJD.

Sikta was officially inducted into the Congress at Congress Bhawan in the presence of Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar, OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak, and former OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik. Sikta said, Rahul Gandhi led Bharat Jodo Yatra had motivated her to join the national party.

Her entry into Congress came a few days after the former Odisha Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik joined the party.