Odisha MLA Surendra Singh Bhoi quits Cong after 38 years; two leaders leave BJP too

Bhubaneswar: Three-time Congress MLA and former minister Surendra Singh Bhoi resigned from the primary membership of the party after 38 years and joined the ruling BJD on Friday.

Two BJP leaders – Nilgiri MLA Sukant Nayak and the party’s Cuttack district president Prakash Chandra Behera - also resigned from their party and are likely to join the BJD.

In a letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Surendra Singh Bhoi said he has resigned from the post of Bolangir district Congress committee (DCC) president as well as the party.

“I beg to say here that due to personal reasons I would like to resign from the primary membership, and the post of president DCC, Bolangir as well as AICC membership. With great honour, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to serve the party and my state for 38 years with passion, dedication and discipline,” he said in the letter.

He joined the BJD at Sankha Bhawan, the headquarters of the ruling party.

BJP MLA Sukant Nayak also resigned from the party.

In a letter to Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, the Nilgiri MLA said, “I do hereby tender my resignation on today (i.e 29.03.2024) from the primary membership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The same may please be accepted.” Nayak was elected to the assembly in 2014 on a BJD ticket from Nilgiri. He, however, switched over to BJP in 2019 and also won the seat. He has now decided to return to the party from where he started his electoral journey, BJD sources said.

Former Chitrakonda MLA & BJD leader Dambaru Sisa also resigned from the primary membership of the party on Thursday.

In his letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Sisa said, “My aim and purpose remain the same as it has always been from the very beginning to serve the people of the state and the constituency. I believe I am unable to do this anymore at this party. So to meet the aspirations of my people and my workers, I believe it is best to look forward to a fresh start.” The development came a day after Cuttack MP Bhatruhari Mahtab and ex-MP Siddharth Mohapatra joined the BJP in Delhi on Thursday. Mahtab resigned from BJD on March 22.

Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases between May 13 and June 1.