Odisha Elections 2024: Former Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi Quits BJD

Bhubaneswar: In a jolt to BJD in Sambalpur ahead of the twin elections, former MLA Raseswari Panigrahi on Tuesday resigned from all posts and primary membership of the party.

Raseswari is a popular doctor and is the sister of former MP Sriballav Panigrahi, who also represented Sambalpur assembly seat and was a minister. The family has a support base in the region.

According to sources, Raseswari was keen to contest the upcoming polls from Sambalpur assembly constituency but the party initially went for former MP Prasanna Acharya and later swapped the MLA candidates, bringing Rohit Pujari to Sambalpur from Rairakhol.

Her quitting can be seen as a setback to BJD in Sambalpur assembly and parliamentary constituencies.

In 2014 elections, Raseswari wrested the Assembly constituency from BJP by defeating former minister Jayanarayan Mishra, who was then seeking a fourth term, by 9,958 votes. The BJP veteran had won the seat in 2000, 2004 and 2009. However, intra-party squabble in the BJD cost her the seat in 2019 as Jayanarayan emerged victorious by polling 4,380 votes more than her.

Raseswari ‘s resignation came a day after sitting Hindol MLA Simarani Nayak quit BJD after the party fielded Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahoo from the seat.