BHUBANESWAR: With Lok Sabha elections only a few months away, ruling BJD MP from Dhenkanal Tathagata Satpathy has announced his decision to quit politics, sparking a buzz in political circles here.
Satpathy’s move has come amidst reports that the ruling BJD is not going to re-nominate some of the MPs for the ensuing polls. Making his decision public before the media, the MP said, he was withdrawing from electoral politics to concentrate on journalism.
He said pressure from his son led him to take the decision. He also dismissed reports that fear of not getting party ticket led him to take such a decision. Speculation of Satpathy taking ‘sanyas’ from electoral politics started making rounds on Monday, after he attended an 11-day ritual (shraddha) of an acquaintance in Angul district along with members of all the seven Assembly segments and later tweeted that he happily bid adieu to them. “Today at Bhakti babu’s mother’s 11th Day after death, Angul. Huge gathering. Nearly my total gang(all not in photo) from all 7 Assembly segments was invited/present. Lunched and happily bid Adieu to all,” he tweeted.
The Lok Sabha member indicated that he will not join any other party as he has great respect for the Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, and is happily quitting. He will soon meet Chief Minister to apprise him about his decision.
Though Satpathy was not available for comment for The New Indian Express, speculation is rife that the MP’s wife Adyasha Satpathy may replace him as BJD candidate from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency. As the Chief Minister had launched the campaign for 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies, a large number of women are going to be fielded by the BJD in the upcoming elections. The BJD MP, however, refuted the speculations and said his wife will not contest elections.
Satpathy was elected to Odisha Assembly from Dhenkanal seat in 1990 on a Janata Dal ticket. He went to win from the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency in 1998, 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.