Exodus continues from BJD as MP, MLA resign

Bhubaneswar, March 20 The exodus from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha continued with Kandhamal MP Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh and Daspalla MLA Purna Chandra Nayak resigning from the party on Wednesday.

Both the leaders resigned from the primary membership of the party after being denied tickets to contest the polls.

They sent their resignation letters to party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"I could have been at least informed prior to the announcement of final list of candidates. I was asked to prepare for the upcoming elections. Furthermore, I am irked as to why (MLA) Bikram Arukha would have any say in the matter of my nomination from Kandhamal," Rajeshwari Singh said in her resignation letter.

"Furthermore, after my husband Hemendra Chandra Singh's demise, I have been harassed in Nayagarh by Arun Sahoo with legal cases multiple times in the last four years. Though I informed this to the party, no action has been taken in this regard," she said.

Sahoo is the BJD MLA from Nayagarh.

Earlier, Rajeshwari Singh had expressed her interest to contest from Nayagarh Assembly segment.

The Daspalla MLA also expressed resentment over the denial of a party ticket.

"I was denied a ticket because of a wrong decision taken by a group of party leaders. Going by the manner of distribution of tickets, it is now clear that the party is keen on giving an opportunity to corrupt candidates," said Nayak.

Meanwhile, former Paralakhemundi MLA Koduru Narayan Rao on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a day after resigning from the BJD.