I Am Still In BJD: Dama

Bhubaneswar: A week after his expulsion from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), former minister Damodar Rout on Wednesday said that he continues to be a member of the party.

“I am still the state executive member of the BJD. The party has not informed me of my expulsion from the party in writing. Besides, it has not sought any explanation from me before expelling me from the party,” Dama told mediapersons here.

He said according to the rules, the party should have taken a decision to expel me at the state executive meeting. “Instead of adhering to the rules, how a party secretary announced my expulsion from the party?” he questione.

Meanwhile, Jagatsinghpur District BJD president Bishnu Das has expressed his willingness to contest from Paradip, the home constituency of Dama, his arch rival.

“If the party and the supremo allow me to contest from Paradip constituency, I am ready for it,” he told mediapersons here.

He further said after being expelled from the BJD, Dama was left alone. “Now, we have a strong party base in Paradip. Several BJD workers of Paradip constituency, who were terrorised by Dama, will voluntarily come forward and make the party victorious in the forthcoming Assembly elections,” Das maintained.

The former minister and BJD leader had put the party in an embarrassing situation by raising the number of scams against the ministers, including the Cooperative Bank loan, sapling plantation and supply of polythene sheets to Omfed.