Unhappy, KP Singhdeo ready to quit Congress, join BJP

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, Mar 16:

Pained and humiliated over the denial of party ticket for the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency, veteran Odisha leader, former Union Minister and PCC president Kamakshya Prasad Singhdeo is contemplating quitting Congress and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sources close to him said today.

KP, as he is popularly known across India’s political circles, had made all preparations to contest from the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency and his winning chances were pretty bright, sources said.

However, for reasons best known to the PCC chief and the AICC, a comparatively lightweight like Sudhir Samal was favoured with the ticket for Dhenkanal.

“I have aired my grievances before the party head Sonia Gandhi a few days back and she has assured me to look into the matter. I have served the party for 37 years. However, I am consulting with my party colleagues and family members including KV Singhdeo, state BJP president and Balangir MP Kalikesh Singhdeo in the matter,” said Singhdeo, scion of the Dhenkanal royal family.

He, however, said that final decision on whether to quit the party will be taken at an appropriate time if he does not get justice from the party high command.

Sources close to KP Singhdeo said he is likely to join BJP, if the party high command does not reconsider their decision on the party ticket for the Dhenkanal parliamentary constituency.

The sources confirmed that the BJP patriarch LK Advani and president Rajnath Singh have already requested him to join the saffron party while the BJP general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan and state BJP president KV Singhdeo are in constant touch with him.

Besides, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for the constituency Rudramadhav Pani is also ready to sacrifice his ticket for the veteran leader , who had represented the constituency as many as six times.