Santosh Singh Saluja Exit Buzz From Congress Ahead Of Odisha Elections

Bhubaneswar: The Congress is facing an exodus of prominent leaders with both BJD and BJP making it a major poaching ground ahead of elections in Odisha.

Now speculations are rife about Congress veteran Santosh Singh Saluja’s potential switch to BJD. The three-time MLA is currently representing Kantabanji assembly seat from where the party has also re-nominated him for the upcoming elections.

The timing of such resignations couldn’t be worse for the state unit of the party, which appeared upbeat till recently after the appointment of senior All India Congress Committee leader Ajoy Kumar as the Odisha in-charge.

Days after his wife joined the BJD, Arindam Sarkhel, also known as Bapi Sarkhel, resigned from Congress on April 4.

Chiranjib Biswal, a former MLA and son of Congress stalwart Basant Kumar Biswal, snapped ties with the grand old party, on March 30 and joined the BJD along with former state general secretary Ajay Ketan Samal and ex-secretary Jogendra Bahubalendra.

On March 19, Khariar MLA Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi resigned from the Congress and joined the BJD the day after. Three-time former Congress MLA and ex-minister Surendra Singh Bhoi joined BJD on March 29, a day after quitting the party. He got a ticket on April 3 to contest as BJD candidate from Balangiri Lok Sabha seat.

The party had received a major setback in February when former MLA Anshuman Mohanty (Rajnagar) quit the Congress on February 14 and joined BJD two days later. He has nominated as BJD MP candidate for Kendrapada.