Expelled BJD MP Sujeet Kumar on Friday joined the BJP after resigning from the Rajya Sabha. Kumar joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, MP Bhartruhari Mahatab and party’s Odisha in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar in Delhi. After joining the BJP, Kumar addressed the media and said, “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders. It is a big decision for me to resign from the Rajya Sabha. Kalahandi, my native place, did not see any development during the BJD regime due to rampant corruption.”
“Crillions of rupees were looted in Kalahandi. Some BJD leaders, government officials and others were involved in financial irregularities. I raised my voice against corruption. I resigned from the Rajya Sabha to protect the interests of Kalahandi,” Kumar added. He also said, “I was ignored and marginalised in the BJD. I was indirectly threatened with expulsion from the party… It is ridiculous that I was expelled as I had resigned from the party before the BJD issued the expulsion order.”
Kumar tendered his resignation to Dhankhar
Earlier, he had submitted his resignation to Deputy Chairman and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. In his resignation letter, he said, “I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to you for the opportunities you have given me to raise issues of public importance and of my state, Odisha, in the House.” He also thanked Naveen Patnaik for sending him to the Rajya Sabha.
Expelled from BJD for anti-party activity
Sujeet Kumar was expelled by the BJD for “anti-party activities” soon after he tendered his resignation. The opposition BJD party slammed Mr Kumar saying he had “let down the party” that sent him to the Rajya Sabha. In an order, BJD president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Mr Kumar had also let down the aspirations of the people of Kalahandi.
Second resignation of a BJD MP
It is noteworthy that Kumar’s resignation comes a month after Kudumi community leader Mamata Mohanta resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the BJD. She was recently elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament as a BJP MP. After two resignations, the number of BJD members in the Rajya Sabha has been reduced from 9 to 7. The party has no members in the Lok Sabha.
(With PTI inputs)
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