Bhubaneswar, Feb 9: In yet another setback to the ruling BJD in Odisha ahead of the forthcoming polls, MLA Premananda Nayak resigned from the primary membership of the BJD.
The former minister Premananda Nayak, who represents Telkoi Assembly Constituency in Keonjhar district, tendered his resignation to BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik alleging a ‘sideline’ in the party.
“I am resigning from the primary membership of ‘Biju Janata Dal’. A valuable time, that spent with you will inspire me to serve better for my Constituency further,” read Nayak’s letter.
According to reports, Nayak expressed dissatisfaction over not being granted a meeting with CM Naveen Patnaik to discuss various concerns in his constituency. Additionally, he was disheartened by the fact that his primary opponent, former Champua MLA Dhanurjay Sidu, was allowed to join BJD while he was overlooked. Despite sending his resignation, no efforts were made to address his grievances or communicate with him. Consequently, feeling unsupported, Nayak opted to resign from the primary membership of the party.
Nayak, who secured victories in the 2009 and 2019 assembly elections on a BJD ticket, served as the Skill Development and Technical Education Minister during Naveen Patnaik's fifth term.
