BJP Bargarh dist prez Narayan Sahu resigns from party, to join BJD

Shortly after, Sahu, who had openly vented his displeasure at the BJP taking in BJD renegade and former Bijepur MLA Ashok Panigrahi on October 2, met chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence here and made clear his intentions to formally join the ruling party on December 3.

Sahu, who sent his his resignation letter to state BJP president Basanta Panda, cited his resentment over the the party’s activities in Bargarh district as the reason behind his decision. “I worked selflessly for the BJP from 1997 to 2017 but there was no recognition in the party,” he told mediapersons.

The BJP  expelled Sahu from the party and appointed Arupananda Sahu as the new Bargarh district chief.

In a season of party-hopping ahead of the Bijepur byelection, necessitated by the death of Subal Sahoo (Congress) on August 22, Sahu’s decision to change sides is viewed in political circles as a setback to the saffron party. Earlier, Subal’s family had joined BJD and his widow Rita Sahu has been nominated as the regional outfit’s candidate for the

bypoll. Upset over this, Panigrahi joined the BJP.

While the Election Commission is yet to announce the date for the much-hyped byelection, the three main parties, BJD, BJP and Congress, have started campaigning and leaving no stone unturned to woo the electorate. After the’wake-up call’ it got following its not-so-impressive show in the three-tier panchayat elections in February, the BJD’s battle for Bijepur is seen as an acid test for Naveen and Co.