Bhubaneswar: In a major setback for BJD, Prayas Kanti Samal, son of senior leader Prafulla Samal, resigned from the primary membership of the regional party of Odisha on Tuesday.
Prayas Kanti told a presser that he had submitted his resignation letter to the BJD president but was yet to inform his father about his decision to quit the party. He cited “personal reasons” for the resignation. He added that he would continue serving the people without being affiliated with any party.
Prayas Kanti joined the BJD in 2001. He served as the chairperson of Bhadrak municipality and general secretary of the Naveen Patnaik-led party. His exit is expected to impact BJD’s influence in Bhadrak district.
Prafulla Samal is a six-time MLA from Bhadrak and Bhandaripokhari. He was appointed as the president of Biju Shramika Samukhya, the party’s workers’ wing, in December last year.
