Ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, at least 16 independent councillors today joined the ruling BJD here.
While 11 corporators were from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), five Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) corporators announced joining the BJD at Naveen Niwas here in presence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"Several corporators have joined BJD today. It will strengthen our party," Patnaik said.
All these 16 councillors had contested against BJD candidates after being denied party tickets in the recently concluded urban local body elections for the said two municipal corporations.
