Bhubaneswar: Just days after alleging multiple instances of corruption in various departments of the State government, former minister & senior leader Damodar Rout was dismissed from the BJD today.
In pursuance to orders from party president Naveen Patnaik, Damodar Rout has been expelled from the BJD, informed party’s state secretary, Bijay Kumar Nayak through a press release.
"I am not aware, came to know from news reports; never considered I was in party since December last,” Rout said.
"Can Naveen Patnaik confidently claim that he is the president of BJD? Which follower of Biju Babu is with him? I will contest elections, don't need any party's ticket," Rout added.
Rout had recently created ripples in the political circle by alleging irregularities and scams in disbursal of Cooperative bank loans, Omfed, distribution of saplings & in the Health department.
On Monday, BJD’s Balikuda-Erasama MLA Prashant Kumar Muduli and party’s Jagatsinghpur district president Bishnu Charan Das had met CM Naveen and urged for disciplinary action & suspension of Rout.
"A wave of happiness has swept Jagatsinghpur following Dama Rout's dismissal; he should have been removed earlier," Das said Rout’s expulsion.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA, Debendra Sharma said, “ The 'godfather' Damodar Rout was referring to is CM's private secretary, VK Pandian, who is behind Rout's dismissal.”
Earlier today, Rout had praised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik by calling him a good human being, a writer and an artist with a clean image and has greater exposure as compared to his counterparts in the country.
Former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda took to Twitter to respond to Rout's expulsion.