2nd BJD MP quits, cries harassment by top brass

BHUBANESWAR: Exodus from the ruling BJD gathered alarming pace on Wednesday with party’s Kandhamal MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh and Dasapala MLA Purnachandra Nayak resigning from the party on Wednesday, alleging “humiliation” and “mental torture” in the party.

“I have tried to give my best to the party and my constituency. However, I was regularly humiliated, tortured and mentally harassed by party’s two senior leaders — Arun Kumar Sahoo and Bikram Keshari Arukh,” said Pratysha.

She added that the party leadership and chief minister Naveen Patnaik never protected her against such behaviour by the two leaders.

Along with Pratyusha, Daspalla MLA Purna Chandra Nayak also resigned from the party, giving a big jolt to the party’s prospects ahead of the crucial polls.

A day after being denied ticket for re-contesting from her parliamentary segment, Pratyusha on Tuesday had declared that she would contest from Nayagarh Assembly Constituency but clarified that if denied, she would not back down from fighting as an independent candidate or from any other party.