BHUBANESWAR: In a big blow to the Congress ahead of the ensuing elections, sitting MLA from Khariar Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi quit the party on Tuesday. He is likely to join the BJD on Wednesday.
Announcing the decision at a media conference, Panigrahi said he resigned from the primary membership of the Congress after consultation with his followers and feedback of the people from his constituency. He submitted his resignation in a letter to the OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak. “People of Khariar wanted me to quit Congress to take the constituency further on path of development,” he stated.
Panigrahi, however, said that he is yet to decide from which political party he will contest. The legislator stated he will take a decision in this regard after consultation with his followers and people of his constituency who will reach here tomorrow. The MLA said he will contest the upcoming Assembly election from Khariar.
He further informed he does not have any differences with any Congress leader. “But present political situation, organisational weakness of the party and advice of people forced me to take the decision to resign from the party,” he added.
Panigrahi had, however, stopped attending any organisational meeting of the party and disassociated himself from the Congress for the last several months.
Reacting to the development, the OPCC president stated that there are eligible aspirants from Khariar to contest election on a Congress ticket.
“Such things happen during elections and some people defect keeping their interest in view,” he added.