Odisha: Mamata Mohanta quits BJD, resigns as Rajya Sabha MP; may join BJP
In her resignation letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Mohanta said she felt that there was no requirement of the service of her and her community in the party
Amid speculations that she might join the BJP, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Mamata Mohanta quit her party on Wednesday (July 31) and also resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP.
In her resignation letter to BJD president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Mohanta said she felt that there was no requirement of the service of her and her community in the party. In another letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, she said she has decided to quit "consciously" as an RS member.
"I sincerely express my gratitude to your goodself for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of Mayurbhanj and also to take the cause of Odisha at the national level. "Howeer, I feel that there is no requirement of the services of myself as well as my community in the Biju Janata Dal. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest," she said, adding that she was resigning from the primary membership of the BJD.
With Mohanta's resignation, the BJD's strength in Rajya Sabha dropped to eight. It does not have any MP in the Lok Sabha.
She is likely to join the BJP and might get re-elected to the seat that she was vacating with the help of the party's increased strength in the assembly.
At present, the BJP has 78 members in the Odisha Assembly while the Opposition BJD has 51 seats. Fourteen seats are held by the Congress, three by Independents and one by CPI(M).
There are 10 Rajya Seats in the state, BJD held nine and the BJP one.
(With agency inputs)