BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar quits membership and party, joins BJP
'Some BJD leaders are involved in gross irregularities and tender-fixing,' alleges Sujeet
Bhubaneswar: Sujeet Kumar, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha member from Odisha’s Kalahandi district, on Friday resigned from his RS membership as well as his party.
He sent his resignation letter to the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar who immediately accepted it.
A few days ago, another BJD Rajya Sabha member — Mamata Mohant of Mayurbhanj— had resigned from her position and later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Later, she was elected to Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket.
Soon after Sujeet Kumar’s resignation was accepted by the Vice President Dhankar, BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik expelled the former from the party.
“Mr Sujeet Kumar, MP, Rajya Sabha, representing BJD is expelled from the party with immediate effect for activities. He has let down the party which sent him to Rajya Sabha and hopes and aspirations of Kalahandi district,” Naveen wrote in the expulsion letter.
Minutes after his resignation, Sujeet joined the BJP at the party’s national headquarters in New Delhi. Senior BJP leaders like Arun Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhartruhari Mohatab and Vijaypal Singh Tomar welcomed him to the party.
Soon after joining the BJP, Sujeet made some explosive remarks. He said he felt suffocated in the party as a section of the powerful leaders always forced him toe their line.
“Some senior leaders of the BJD are involved in large-scale corruption and tender-fixing in Kalahandi district. Although I drew the attention of the party’s leadership to these irregularities, they did not pay any heed to it. Instead, I was served some indirect threats by certain senior leaders of my party that my career will be ruined if I don't obey their diktats,” said Sujeet.
Senior BJD leader Pramila Mallick accused the BJP of trying to divide the BJD.
“The BJP leaders are trying to divide our party. However, they will not succeed in their attempts. They are threatening some of our leaders that the Enforcement Director (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will act against them if they do not join their party,” alleged Mallick.
With the resignation of Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta, BJD has now left only 7 members in the Upper House.