Bhrugu Baxipatra, vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha, tendered his resignation from the party and officially joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday.
In his resignation letter to the BJP state unit president Manmohan Samal, Baxipatra wrote, “With a heavy heart, I am tendering my resignation from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” adding, “As a member for 23 years, I have put my best efforts for the growth of the Party in the state and executed every single responsibility that I was assigned, with utter sincerity and diligence. … However, lately, I have realized that the Party does not require me or my contribution anymore,” he said.
Baxipatra added, “I have decided to move on. I will continue to serve the people of Odisha and work for the development of our state….”
He had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Berhampur constituency on a BJP ticket and lost to BJD’s Chandra Sekhar Sahu by a margin of 94,844 votes.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Baxipatra aspired to contest the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat again under the BJP banner. However, the party's decision to field recently-joined MLA Pradeep Panigrahy prompted Baxipatra's departure.
Welcomed by BJD's Berhampur MP Chandrasekhar Sahu at the party's headquarters, Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Baxipatra's move signals a significant shift in the state's political landscape.
Meanwhile, the BJD has appointed Sahu, the incumbent MP, as its vice-president and entrusted him with the role of chairman of the manifesto committee.
However, the complete lineup for the committee tasked with drafting the manifesto for the forthcoming simultaneous elections to the state assembly and Lok Sabha seats is yet to be finalised.
With Baxipatra's potential nomination from the Berhampur seat under consideration, Sahu's appointment is viewed as a strategic maneuver to accommodate him within the party.
As the BJD announces candidates for various Lok Sabha seats across the state, including Berhampur, speculation mounts regarding Baxipatra's future political trajectory in his pursuit to reclaim lost ground.
In the previous Lok Sabha elections, despite securing a significant vote share, Baxipatra faced defeat at the hands of Sahu, signaling a challenging electoral landscape ahead.
Follow us
