Odisha Elections 2024: 2 Senior Leaders Quit BJD After Turncoat Bags Berhampur LS Ticket

Bhubaneswar: Two senior BJD leaders from Berhampur – Rama Chandra Panda and T Gopi – resigned from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday over alleged negligence and denial of party ticket for the upcoming polls in Odisha.

Former deputy speaker of Odisha Assembly Panda, in his resignation letter, said that he had been trying to meet the BJD president Naveen Patnaik for the last 15 days but in vain. He alleged that the party wants to keep its flock together by giving them superficial posts. “I was a ticket aspirant for Berhampur LS seat in 2019 but the party fielded new entrant Chandrashekar Sahu. Though I have been keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls, I was again denied a ticket this time despite serving the party over the years. I was also not invited to ticket selection process for Ganjam district,” he told the media.

Earlier, he had resigned from the post of advisor to the Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Department on ethical grounds after the model code of conduct came into force for 2024 general elections.

In his resignation letter, Gopi cited negligence as the main reason for snapping his decades old ties with the BJD. “I have realised that the party does not need me or my contribution any more,” he wrote.

The BJD on Tuesday announced Bhrugu Baxipatra as its candidate from Berhampur LS seat, hours after he quit BJP and joined the party.

Also Read: Voices Of Dissent: MLA Aspirants Quit BJD Over Ticket Denial

Panda had started his political career with erstwhile Janata Dal. He, however, shifted allegiance to BJP and was elected from Chhatrapur Assembly seat in 2000. He was the Deputy Speaker from 2000 to 2004 when BJD and BJP ruled the state in an alliance. In 2014, he contested from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat as BJP’s MP candidate but finished third. He joined the BJD in 2017 ahead of the panchayat elections after deserting the BJP.