Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Rajya Sabha member Sujeet Kumar has resigned from the Upper House of Parliament and joined the BJP on Friday (September 6, 2024), following a similar move by Mamata Mohanta, who quit her membership on July 31.
Mr. Kumar was elected to Rajya Sabha April 3, 2020 and his term would have ended on April 2, 2026. Soon after his resignation, the BJD expelled him from the party with immediate effect for anti-party activities. He joined BJP in the party’s headquarters in New Delhi in presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and in-charge for Odisha, Vijaypal Singh Tomar.
“I admire Prime Minister Narendra Modi the way he has taken the country to greater height. I am inspired by his ‘nation first’ philosophy,” said Mr. Kumar after joining the party.
He said, “there was widespread corruption in Kalahandi district. Whenever I tried to raise the issue in party forum, I was not given due importance.” Mr. Pradhan also praised Mr. Kumar for his grip on public policy matter.
After his resignation, BJD’s tally in Rajya Sabha has now come down to seven. ?The regional party has also expelled him from the party. “He (Sujeet Kumar) has let down the party which sent him to Rajya Sabha and hopes and aspirations of people of Kalahandi district,” said BJD President Naveen Patnaik in the expulsion order.
Earlier, Mr. Kumar sent his resignation to Mr. Patnaik stating, “I shall always be indebted to you for nominating me to Rajya Sabha. I take this opportunity to express my sincere and profuse gratitude to you for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of undivided Kalahandi district and to raise issues of the KBK region, and Odisha at large, at the national level.”
“I have always dedicated myself to the interest of the party and have, over the years, worked for the party with utmost conviction and commitment. However, I feel that, of late, I have been systematically belittled in the party and that the party does not require my services,” he said.
In recent months, Mr. Kumar has appeared to be cosying up with the BJP, based on the way he has expressed himself in public. On June 27, he had taken to social networking site, ‘X’, saying, “Lord Jagannath forgives and forgets everything, but do not approve ego and arrogance.” His post on X was apparently in reference to certain powerful section of leadership in the regional party. Mr. Kumar was also effusive in his praise for the railway projects sanctioned for Odisha by the Narendra Modi Government.
“This is nothing, but BJP’s shameful attempt to disintegrate a regional party. BJP will not succeed in its effort. In the past, Odisha CM had built career of many leaders and would continue to do the same. A selfish person always switches driven by one’s interest,” said Pramilla Mallick, veteran BJD leader and party’s chief whip in the State Assembly.
Commenting on resignations of Mr. Kumar and Ms Mohanta, she said these two leaders were nobody and had done little to strengthen BJD.
Mr. Kumar’s resignation appears to be a calculated move by the BJP. Although several BJD leaders are prepared to switch sides, the saffron party is proceeding cautiously, encouraging them to resign gradually. With 78 MLAs in the 147-member State Assembly, the BJP is well-positioned to secure a Rajya Sabha seat in a single attempt.
After Ms. Mohanta resigned from Rajya Sabha, she was elected to Upper House in her own place as BJP member in couple of months. The party could also adopt similar strategy for Mr. Kumar.
Published - September 06, 2024 02:06 pm IST
