Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: Trouble seems to be far from over for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as senior leaders continue to quit party with elections just round the corner. After Bhadrak MP Arjun Sethi, another senior leader Raghunath Mohanty today resigned from the primary membership of BJD. Earlier, Mohanty had resigned as the chairman of the Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation yesterday.

Though Mohanty in his resignation letter cited personal reasons, he later expressed his displeasure over the functioning and state of affairs in the BJD at a presser in Bhubaneswar.

"I was one of the founding members of BJD. I was forced to resign for the 'swabhiman' of party workers and people in Balasore. The party was formed on the ideologies of late Biju Babu. However, it has now strayed from the founding principles due to the conspiracy hatched by some persons in the party. This has hurt the leaders who founded the party," said Mohanty.

Responding to a media query regarding his next political course of action, Mohanty said, "I will soon take a decision on whether to contest polls or not shortly as preparations have reached final stages in Balasore."

In his reaction, BJD's Balasore MLA Jiban Pradeep Das said, "It is unfortunate that senior leaders like him, who were benefitted by the party so much, are leaving the party. After Mohanty's resignation, there will not be much effect on the party."

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