Odisha polls: Supporters of Rudramadhab Ray threaten to resign en masse

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Mar 19:

Revolt is brewing in the Dasapalla unit of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over the nomination of Hemendra Singh as the party candidate for the Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat.

At a meeting held at Dasapalla today, supporters of sitting BJD MP Rudramadhab Ray opposed tooth and nail the move to ‘foist a rank outsider’ as the party candidate in the constituency. A decision was taken at the meeting that 30 local BJD leaders would meet party supremo Naveen Patnaik tomorrow and plead with him not to go ahead with fielding Singh from the seat.

“If the party chief does not relent, we would tender mass resignation from the party,” said a party leader present at the meeting today.

Singh, it may be noted, had left the Congress and joined the ruling party recently.