Bhubaneswar: Debashish Mallick, a close aide of Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda on Tuesday parted ways with the parliamentarian.
Mallick, who was working as a political coordinator of the MP for the last 10 to 12 years, announced his decision to quit at a press conference held in Bhubaneswar today.
“MP Jay Panda seems pro-BJP of late and he was was involved in anti-party activities during panchayat & Bijepur polls. Moreover, he spread rumours about CM's health and has been targeting the 3rd floor for business interests. As it hurt my conscience, I decided to part ways with him,” said Mallick.
The MP’s political secretary, Jyoti Prakash Ghose on the other hand refuted the allegations leveled by Mallick.
“Debashis Mallick's allegations against MP Jay Panda are unfortunate, false & baseless. The parliamentarian had groomed Debashis for a decade. In the coming days it will be clear at whose behest he took such decision,” said Ghose.
Hours before the scheduled press conference, Kendrapara MP took to social media and condemned such move by Mallick.
“It seems the powers that be have managed to wean away a key aide of mine, sm1 I've groomed for a decade from student politics to a sr position on my political team & now w/statewide recognition. He will apparently hold a press conference this afternoon to denounce me,” Panda wrote on Twitter (SIC).