BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday revoked the expulsion of veteran leader and former minister Damodar Rout. The gesture towards the veteran leader who is ailing and hospitalised is likely to have political ramifications in Paradip area of Jagatsinghpur district where he still has strong influence.
Rout was expelled from BJD in September, 2018, for anti-party activities after he started making allegations regarding large-scale irregularities in different government departments. He was removed from the cabinet and as BJD vice-president in December, 2017 for making controversial statements against Brahmins.
After his expulsion, Rout had joined BJP in March, 2019 and contested the Assembly election from the Balikuda-Erasama constituency unsuccessfully. After his unsuccessful stint with the BJP, he resigned from the party in October 2019.
However, Rout was not taking active part in politics after he quit BJP as he was not keeping well. But many of statements after that were in support of BJD.
Rout’s son and BJD MLA from Paradip Sambit Routray told mediapersons the news of revocation of expulsion will give his father strength to recover. “My father always wanted to serve the BJD,” he stated.
“My father was hurt after his expulsion from BJD as he was with the Biju Parivar throughout his political life. I had once requested 5T chairman VK Pandian to urge the chief minister to revoke the expulsion some two years back as my father had become mentally weak after staying away from the party. My father could not stay long with BJP as his heart was always with the BJD,” he added.