Baijayant Panda Resigns From Lok Sabha

Bhubaneswar: Sixteen days after quitting Biju Janata Dal, Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda on Tuesday resigned from Lok Sabha.

Tweeting about his resignation, Baijayant wrote “In letter to NaveenP on my intent to dissociate from BJD, I’d said on completion of my father’s kriyas I’d resign from LS. The day after they ended, I sought to meet Hon’ Speaker as per custom. It wasn’t possible & i understand she’s since gone abroad, so I’ve had it deliverd”.

Baijayant had quit BJD ostensibly because Naveen Patnaik and other party colleagues had not ‘turned up for a last glimpse’ of his father Dr Bansidhar Panda who passed away on May 22.

Political observers said his resignation from the Lok Sabha was cleverly timed to preempt a by-poll for the Kendrapada parliamentary constituency.

Baijayant was suspended from the primary membership of the BJD on January 24.