Senior BJP leader and former Odisha Minister Bijoy Mohapatra and party legislator from Rourkela and former Union Minister Dilip Ray resigned from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday.

Mr. Ray also quit as Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. He handed over his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat who accepted the same.

The resignation of the two senior leaders from the BJP comes close on the heels of the joining of former IAS officer Aparajita Sarangi in the party.

Mr. Mohapatra told press persons that he and Mr. Ray had sent their resignation letter to the party’s national president Amit Shah.

Stating that he had joined the party in hurry before the 2009 elections, Mr. Mohapatra said he had many bitter experiences during his 10-year stint in the party. Things had reached such a pitch that he was left with no option but to quit the party, he added.

Mr. Ray said that he decided to resign from the BJP as he had failed to deliver on the issues on which he contested the 2014 elections. He had been pursuing construction of a second bridge over Brahmani and upgradation of the Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela to a super speciality hospital. He had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times, but both projects had not made much headway.

Mr. Mohapatra clarified that he and Mr. Ray will decide about their future course of action after holding consultations with their supporters and well-wishers. They had not held talks with any party so far, he added.