Bhubaneswar: Prominent tribal leader and Biramitrapur MLA George Tirkey will join Congress in New Delhi in the presence of AICC president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
The four-time MLA is likely to be the Congress candidate for Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 polls, sources said.
George had won the Biramitrapur Assembly segment in 1995 and 2000 on JMM ticket and in 2002, joined the ruling BJD. But after being denied ticket in 2004, he had unsuccessfully fought the Sundargarh Lok Sabha election and Biramitrapur Assembly polls as Independent candidate.
In 2009 and 2014, Gerge was elected from Birmitrapur as Independent legislator. The revolutionary leader, however , returned to JMM fold eight months back.
Currently, Sundergarh constituency is represented by senior BJP leader and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.
Prasanta Patnaik