Senior BJD leader and Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab resigned from the primary membership of BJD on Friday. Mahtab has expressed dissatisfaction over the functioning of the party. The veteran parliamentarian, who was awarded the ‘Sansad Ratna’ for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020 for his outstanding performance in Parliament debates, said he quit the party as he did not get ample opportunity to work freely in the BJD. While addressing a press meet, the Parliamentarian said and we quote, “The party was formed to fight against corruption and to stay away from self-aggrandizement. Believing this, the people of Odisha supported the party. But during the last few years, things went wrong and I often raised the issues but nothing happened. So I have distanced myself from the party. I believe I can do the work for what I had joined the party, more freely after quitting the party.” Notably, Mahtab’s move came a day after the Special Court for MP/MLAs framed charges against him in connection with the alleged assault on a police officer. He said he has sent his resignation letter to BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.