SUNDARGARH : A day after BJD announced candidature of former Congress MLA Yogesh Singh from Sundargarh Assembly constituency, a disgruntled Kusum Tete on Tuesday raised a banner of revolt and resigned from the party.“Deeply hurt” by denial of ticket, Kusum said she had worked tirelessly for five years to strengthen the party organisation in the constituency. “I was given an assurance for my candidature, but the party did not keep its promise,” she said, alleging that BJD did not adhere to its declaration of giving 33 per cent reservation to women.
Two days back, Kusum who had unsuccessfully contested from the seat in 2014, had resigned as chairperson of the Sundargarh Special Development Council (SDC). She is now speculated to join BJP and fight Singh. Asked if she would join BJP, Kusum said she would decide her next course of action after consulting her followers.
Singh, who had won the seat as Congress candidate in 2014, had switched side to BJD in first week of February. Days before Singh’s joining, Kusum had made her displeasure over his entry clear during a meeting with BJD senior leaders Prashant Nanda and Pranab Prakash Das. However, she was called to Bhubaneswar for a meeting with Naveen and was hurriedly handed over charge of SDC in a bid to placate her.
BJD insiders admitted if she joins BJP then Singh would face a tough fight. They said Kusum has a strong support base among women voters and SHGs members. She can dent the BJD vote bank in Tangapali and parts of Hemgir and Sadar blocks of the seat.Political observers said the Congress has weakened beyond recovery in Sundargarh Assembly segment. Incidentally, a section in the BJP is opposing possible entry of Kusum in BJP.