Veteran Odisha Leader Dama Rout Not To Contest Polls!

Bhubaneswar: Sidelined by party leadership, veteran leader Damodar Rout on Thursday said that there was a remote possibility of him contesting the elections.

Talking to the media here, the BJP leader said that in politics, there was a hell and heaven difference before and after the elections.

“The BJP leaders, who had invited me to join the party before the Assembly elections, have ignored me after the elections,” he added.

Stating that he came to know about BJP candidate nomination for Bijepur byelection from the media, Dama said that though the party had sought him for election campaign during the recent Assembly polls, he is now being ignored.

“If the party leadership ignores me, how can I contest the polls? Moreover, my age does not permit me to remain in active politics. I cannot run after the party leadership to be the candidate. Neither senior leaders at the Centre nor in the state are consulting me in any party affairs,” he pointed out.

Asked about his future plan, Dama said he will stay with the people and work for them.

Notably, Dama had joined the BJP in March ahead of the Assembly Elections in the state after being expelled from the BJD in September, last year.