Former Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi snapped ties with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) by resigning from the primary membership of the ruling party on Tuesday.
Raseswari sent her resignation letter to BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik today. The development came after BJD announced Rohit Pujari as the party candidate from Sambalpur.
“I hereby resign from the primary membership of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and all post (s) of the party assigned to me on 23 April 2024 afternoon. This is for favour of your information and necessary action,” read Raseswari’s letter.
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Later, Raseswari said that she left BJD for the pride and self-respect of Sambalpur.
“I have resigned from the primary membership of BJD and all the posts of the party for the pride and self-respect of Sambalpur. With your help and cooperation, many development works were undertaken during my tenure as MLA from 2014 to 2019. Though I was not the MLA in the next term, I was involved in all kinds of development work and the organizational activities of the party. However, the decision taken by the party is an insult to Sambalpur,” said Raseswari.
“A person who was earlier axed for not performing well has been given ticket for Sambalpur. It’s an insult to the people of Sambalpur. Sambalpur is the epicenter of Western Odisha. It’s like the second capital of Odisha. They have given the candidature of Sambalpur to such a person whom they had earlier termed as 'unworthy'. Didn’t we have leaders in Sambalpur? Why are we bringing leaders here from other places? The pride and self-respect of Sambalpur is at stake. Hence I have given my resignation. I will not do any kind of political activities from now onwards and continue my social work,” she added.
As per political analysts, it is a big jolt to BJD as a huge number of supporters of Raseswari will also leave the party along with her.