Bhubaneswar: President of Nuapada Biju Yuva Janata Dal, Harish Chandra Panda, resigned from the post and primary membership of the party on Tuesday.
He quit the party protesting against the renomination of Rajendra Dholakia from Nuapada Assembly seat.
In a video message, Harish said the MLA had been woking arbitrarily, ignoring the party leaders in Nuapada. “He has been indulging in corrupt practices and crushing able leaders and party workers while promoting his son. I have been raising the issue with the party leadership for the last two years but in vain,” he said.
He said that they also held demonstrations to oppose him. “Turning a blind eye to these protests, the party renominated from the seat again,” he said, adding that he has mailed his resignation letter to BJD president and CM Naveen Patnaik.
He further added that he would consult his well-wishers and supporters before taking a decision on his next political move.
The BJD is yet to respond to his allegations.
Harish had grabbed headlines by joining BJD in March 2019 when his uncle Basant Kumar Panda was the president of BJP in Odisha. Basanta Panda, the sitting Kalahandi MP, had also represented the Nuapada Assembly seat twice in 2000 and 2014.