Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of BJD activists and many elected representatives under Nimapara Assembly segment in Puri district have resigned en masse from the ruling party to protest against the denial of ticket to former Minister and sitting MLA Samir Ranjan Dash for 2024 polls in Odisha.

The chairpersons of Nimapara and Gop blocks—Shankar Bhoi and Jhunu Mallick—and at least 58 elected representatives including Sarpanches, Panchayat Samiti members and councillors of Nimapara NAC have resigned from the BJD in protest against the ruling party’s decision to drop the sitting MLA for the upcoming Assembly polls.

The BJD presidents for Nimapara and Gop blocks—Ashok Kumar Sahu and Madhusudan Paikaray—have also quitted the party expressing their support for the former minister.

Similarly, the BJD presidents of 46 gram panchayats under Nimapara and Gop blocks, the presidents of 41 cooperative societies and many youth and women activists of the party have resigned from the ruling party ahead of the twin polls in the state.

Nimapara NAC BJD president Jibananand Mahapatra and party Zilla Parishad member from Zone-19 Pradipta Kumar Khatoi among others have sent their resignation to BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Dash, as BJD nominee, had been elected to Odisha Assembly from Nimapara seat thrice in a row in 2009, 2014 and 2019. He had also served as the School and Mass Education Minister in the state.

The BJD, however, denied ticket to Dash and picked Dillip Kumar Nayak as its candidate from Nimapara seat for 2024 polls.

Nayak had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Assembly polls in Odisha from Nimapara on a Congress ticket.