Senior BJP leader KV Singhdeo was also present at the occasion. Babita Mallick, had contested 2009 and 2014 assembly polls from Binjharpur on Congress ticket, but lost to BJP leader Pramila Mallick on both occasions.
Earlier, BJP had inducted two Congress stalwarts from Jajpur districts to the party – Biswaranjan Mallick (Bari) and Biswajeet Nayak (Korei) on June 11. The entire Korei unit of the Congress had joined the saffron party.