Bhubaneswar, Jan 17 (IANS): Former Odisha Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, who had resigned from the Congress in 2015, returned to the grand old party on Wednesday after a gap of almost eight years.

The 80-year-old tribal leader rejoined the Congress in the presence of the party’s Odisha incharge Ajoy Kumar at a programme in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Gamang’s wife and former Congress MP, Hema Gamang, son Sishir Gamang and ex-Bargarh MP Sanjay Bhoi, too, rejoined the party at the event.

Last year the veteran leader had joined the BRS at the party’s headquarters in the presence of party President KC Rao in Telangana, just a few days after resigning from the BJP.

Gamang had joined the saffron party after snapping his 43-year-long relationship with the Congress in 2015.

Gamang had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Koraput constituency nine-times since 1972. He held several positions including Union Ministers of Communications, Food Processing Industries, Mines etc. under several Congress Governments during his long career.

The Vajpayee-led NDA Government lost the no confidence motion by one vote in April 1999 and Gamang was held responsible for this. Gamang voted in the motion as a Congress member of the Lok Sabha even after becoming the Chief Minister of Odisha in February 1999.