Nilagiri MLA Sukant Nayak Quits BJD

Balasore: The dissidence in the ruling BJD over candidates selection for the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections has come to the fore with another leader and sitting MLA of Nilagiri Sukant Nayak quitting the party.

In a letter to the BJD president and Chief Minister, Nayak on Friday informed about his resignation from the primary membership of the party.

He attributed his decision to an alleged conspiracy hatched against him by the party’s Balasore district president.

Nayak also said that he was not invited to the meetings by the district president and the mental torture became unbearable for him.

Sources in the political circles, however, said that Nayak resigned since BJD is likely to field Susama Biswal, the BJP leader who recently joined the regional party, from the Nilagiri constituency.

It may be recalled that the BJD MP from Nabarangpur, Balabhadra Majhi, had resigned from the party on Thursday citing gross apathy towards him. Sources, however, said that Majhi took the decision as the party leadership had decided to give ticket to SC and ST Development Minister Ramesh Majhi to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Nabarangpur.