Desertion from the Odisha Congress continued on Tuesday with several leaders resigning from the party pointing a finger at the ‘coteri rule’ of the state leadership.
Secretary of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bharati Das and spokesperson Ashok Samal announced that they have resigned from the party in protest against the sidelining of senior leaders and party workers by the ‘coterie’.
Sources said that both the leaders are likely to join the BJD.
Both the leaders resigned in protest against the nomination of popular cinestar Aparajita Mohanty as the party’s candidate from the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat.
Samal said that though his name was recommended by the Cuttack district congress committee, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena ignored it completely.
Das was also an aspirant for a ticket for the Cuttack Parliamentary seat.
Meanwhile, Odisha Jana Morcha (OJM) leader Sarat Mishra and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Antarjami Gamang on Tuesday joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) at the party headquarters here in the presence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
While Mishra was the treasurer of the OJM and party’s candidate for the Bhubaneswar North constituency, Gamang was the president of the BJP’s Jan Jati Morcha. Mishra resigned from the party after the Odisha Jana Morcha announced withdrawal of his candidature from the seat.
Senior Biju Janata Dal leader and former leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh on Tuesday said that he has no desire to contest in the forthcoming elections.
Bhupinder said that he will carry out any work assigned to him by party president Naveen Patnaik.
He said he would prefer to campaign for the party candidates than contest in the forthcoming elections.