BJD MLA Sukanta Nayak resigns from party

Bhubaneswar, March 15

Ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA Sukanta Kumar Nayak on Friday resigned from the party alleging “neglect and mental torture”, a day after Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi had quit the BJD.

Nayak, the MLA from Nilgiri sent his resignation letter to BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and alleged that he was “neglected and subjected to mental torture” by the party’s Balasore district unit.

He said that the “conspiracy” hatched against him by the party’s Balasore district president has forced him to resign.

Majhi in his resignation letter to Patnaik had also made similar allegation of neglect while resigning from the primary membership of the BJD.

Nayak was elected to the Assembly from Nilgiri seat of Balasore district in 2014. He was not invited to attend the joining programme of Sushama Biswal, a BJP leader from Nilgiri.

Nayak in the last election had defeated Biswal by a margin of over 13,000 votes. Like Majhi, Nayak had resigned from government job and contested the 2014 election and become an MLA.

BJD leaders said that Nayak might have resigned from the party after BJP leader Sushama Biswal joined the party three days ago. As there is possibility that Biswal may get BJD ticket for the Nilgiri seat, Nayak preferred to resign from the party.

Odisha Assembly elections will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29, respectively. PTI