Baripada: Senior BJP leader and state vice president of the party Rajkishore Das severed his 40-year’s link with the saffron party Saturday night.
He has sent his resignation letter to BJP’s state unit president Basant Panda and is likely to join the ruling BJD. He was aspiring for a party ticket from the Morada Assembly segment.
The saffron party has announced names of nominees in five Assembly segments in Mayurbhanj district. However, the party has not cleared the haze on the nomination for Morada and Rairangpur seats.
Das has got good organisation in these two seats. Das, who felt neglected by the state leadership, has blamed it on a Union minister.
“Since the age of 8, I had been working for the RSS and dedicated 40 years for the service of the BJP. But a Union minister wielding his power has been trying control everything in the party. I have been sidelined for the last four years. At the behest of the Union minister, the party had been ignoring me in political activities in the district,” Das claimed.
Though he has not decided about his next move, he was found meeting some BJD leaders at his residence Sunday.
On the other hand, there are five ticket aspirants from the BJD for the Morada seat. Among the aspirants are sitting MLA Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo, executive president of district unit of BJD Debasish Mohanty and youth leader Krushna Chandra Das.
Political circles say the ruling party is not impressed with the report card of Bhanj Deo, while Debasish may be the next possible candidate.
If BJD gives ticket to Rajkishore Das, other ticket aspirants are sure to raise a banner of revolt.
However, supporters of Das say that he could be sent to the Rajya Sabha by the BJD. They however want Das to contest the elections.
PNN