Odisha BJP Suspends Ranjan Polei For ‘Indiscipline’ After He Joins BJD

Bhubaneswar: Odisha BJP on Wednesday suspended state executive committee member from Ghumusar organisational district Ranjan Polei and Kodala NAC circle president Madhusudan Jena, who is also a councillor, from the party for indiscipline and anti-party activities.

This came hours after Polei resigned from the primary membership of BJP and joined the ruling BJD, in what is being called a homecoming, at Sankha Bhawan here.

Polei had left BJD ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections, which he contested unsuccessfully on BJP ticket from Kabisuryanagar, protesting against ‘self-centred’ functioning of former minister and Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi, who was then a close aide of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and looked after the affairs of his constituency Hinjili. Panigrahi, however, was expelled from the party in December 2020 for ‘anti-people’ activities.