KEONJHAR: Nine BJD councillors of Keonjhar municipality, including vice-chairman Barada Prasanna Das resigned from the party’s primary membership on Sunday.
The councillors submitted their resignation letters to the district president. Sources said the vice-chairman and the councillors are set to join the BJP at a function in Bhubaneswar on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also the MLA from Keonjhar Sadar.
BJD district president Ashish Chakravarthy said if there were any internal difference, it could have been resolved. He added that the state leadership would review the resignation letters.
Notably, in the 21 wards of Keonjhar municipality, the BJD had won 13 seats while the rest eight had gone to the BJP. Despite having fewer councillors, the BJP had won the chairperson’s post in direct elections, while the BJD held the vice-chairperson’s position. With municipal elections approaching, political observers believe the development could provide a strategic advantage to the BJP.