Former Dhenkanal MP and senior leader Tathagata Satpathy on Saturday stoked serious speculations in the political circles of Odisha with comment about his links with the BJD.
Addressing a gathering during Baisakhi Mahotsav in Dhenkanal on Saturday, Satpathy said he is no longer associated with BJD. "My association with the ruling party ended on May 30, 2019," the former parliamentarian said on the sidelines of the event.
“My tenure as a member of Biju Janata Dal got expired on May 30, 2019. Now I am a free citizen of India. Thus, I am free to make any statement as well as free to write whatever I want," Satpathy said in his statement.
The leader further added that he is under no sort of pressure or whatsoever from anyone. "As I don’t belong to any political party, I don’t need anyone’s favour," he said.
In 2019, Satpathy openly announced that he was bidding goodbye to electoral politics to actively concentrate on journalism following the wish of his son.
Tathagata, a four-time MP from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency has always often stirred hornet's nest making comments on several issues even against his own party.