BHUBANESWAR: Even as the resignation of Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda is pending with the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the BJD Parliamentary Party (BJDPP) has requested her to immediately accept his resignation stating that in law, he stands disqualified as a member.
In a letter to the Speaker on Monday, leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party Bhartruhari Mahatab has said since he has resigned from the BJD, he cannot continue as an MP as per the terms of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India pertaining to the anti-defection provisions. Mahatab said, “Now that he has resigned on his own, the proceedings for his disqualification under the 10th Schedule need not be initiated by our party.”
Mahtab said Baijayant, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Kendrapara in 2014 elections on the BJD ticket, has been suspended from the party as he has been consistently engaging in anti-party activities. “This fact has been communicated to your office,” the letter said. The letter said, “Therefore, I request you to kindly accept his resignation forthwith, since he ceases to be an MP as per provisions of the Constitution and the law, so that necessary consequences may be obtained and followed,” he said.
Baijayant was suspended from the primary membership of BJD by the party supremo Naveen Patnaik on January 24. After his suspension from the party, he resigned from the BJD on May 28 and later sent his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 12 with a request to accept it. Reacting to the letter written by Mahatab to the Speaker, Baijayant, said the BJD cannot initiate any proceedings for his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Quoting a line from the letter, he said in a tweet, “Not need not, but cannot. Have some self respect. I did.”