BJD urges Lok Sabha Speaker to accept resignation of its member

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 10

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to accept forthwith the resignation of its party member Bijayant Panda since he ceases to be a member of the House as per the law.

In a letter to Mahajan, the BJP parliamentary party leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said Panda can not continue as MP as per the 10th Schedule of the Constitution after he voluntarily gave up his primary membership of the party and reportedly sent his resignation as Lok Sabha MP to her.

He drew the speaker’s attention that Panda was elected to Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency of Odisha in the 2014 General Election on BJD symbol and party ticket and had been constantly engaging himself in anti-party activities as a result of which the party was constrained to suspend him.
Panda was suspended from the primary membership of the BJD on January 24.

He remained a Rajya Sabha member of the BJD from 2000 to 2006 and then again from 2006 to 2009. He had won from the Kendrapara seat twice as a BJD nominee, first in 2009 election.

Sources said that Panda had been apparently getting close to the BJP which irked his party leadership.

Reports suggest that BJP has an eye on Panda, who is respected in wide-ranging of circles in Odisha, to make a political dent in the state.

The ground realities suggest the party feels handicapped on account of lack of a tall leader to take on the ruling BJD headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, especially in non-tribal pockets.

The party hopes to make a fortune in a three-cornered post with Congress in the fray.