Former BJD MLA of Rajnagar resigns from party

KENDRAPARA:Former BJD MLA of Rajnagar Alekha Kumar Jena resigned  from the party on Wednesday. He sent his resignation letter to BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Sources said Jena is likely to join the BJP soon.

“I resigned from BJD in the interest of the people of my  Assembly segment. Large numbers of voters urged me to resign from BJD which has neglected Rajnagar,” Jena said.

He further said, “I defeated senior Congress leader Nalini Mohanty in 2009 who had been elected uninterruptedly for seven times from Rajnagar since 1977. But I was not given a party ticket to contest in the Assembly elections in 2014. I have been constantly ignored by the party despite my continuous efforts to strengthen BJD in Rajnagar.”

On the other hand, president of the district unit of BJD Dhurba Sahoo said Jena’s resignation would not affect BJD’s prospects in Rajnagar. “In the last Assembly elections, Jena was involved in anti-party activities by supporting the Congress candidate after he was denied a BJD ticket from Rajnagar,” Sahoo said.

In his three-decade long political career, veteran Congress leader Nalini Mohanty tasted defeat for the first time at Rajnagar from Jena in 2004. Political observers said BJD will suffer a blow due to resignation of Jena who enjoys a strong support base in Rajnagar.

Four months back, former Congress MLA of Aul Dolagobinda Nayak and former OGP MLA of Kendrapada Utkal Keshari Parida had joined BJP.