Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Damodar Rout announced his retirement from politics Thursday. Political observers say that with the announcement, a 45-year-long political career of a frontline leader has come to an end.
They also believe that Dama’s decision came following the release of the list of BJP’s star campaigners for Bijepur bi-poll Thursday which does not feature his name.
The 77-year-old Rout says that he is old enough to take retirement from politics. “Yet, I am always here to serve the people of Odisha,” he added.
After being expelled from BJD, he had joined BJP and was made a candidate from Balikuda-Ersama assembly constituency for the general election this year but was pipped to the post by BJD candidate Raghunandan Das.
Dama says he had joined the BJP ahead of the general election as the saffron leaders invited him to their fold. “Now none of these leaders are seeking my help. They are not even calling me to any meeting. Neither the central level leaders nor the state level ones are consulting me on any issue. If I don’t have any importance in a party, why should I be there?” he asked.
PNN